Eternity
by Vivid Tear
Summary: The Halfbloods follow two rules: 1. Execute each plan. 2. Watch each others' backs. With the Halfbloods, learn to use a weapon or you're out. With Percy, it's either be a Seaweed Brain or find a way to save the day. Multiple times. Of course, having Annabeth around makes things a lot easier. Especially when you're prone to screwing up a lot. Annabeth x Percy
1. Chapter 1

**A/N**

**I MUST STOP WRITING NEW STORIES. I MEAN, I HAVEN'T FINISHED-**

**Stupid caps.**

**As I was saying, I haven't finished 90% of my stories, but summer's quickly approaching. It's kind of scary. I don't wanna grow up. T_T**

**I've been in an anime phase lately, and am currently watching 11eyes. The main character with one eye kind of annoys me.**

"**No, I will not teach you how to use a sword."**

"**But I must protect Yuka!"**

"**Oh, yeah? Well, too bad."**

"**But I must protect Yuka!"**

**The one who's talking about Yuka is him. I forgot his name; that's how insignificant he is to me. Anyway, I watched Angel Beats and Hidan no Aria a little before this one, and in both of those animes, the girls use guns. Well, everyone uses guns, but I find it more enjoyable to watch a girl fight with explosives.**

* * *

_**Half-Blood Base- South Woods**_

_**September 5**__**th**_

_**3:00 PM**_

Everything looks red, and I think it's just my eyesight before I realize that it's blood. Everything's splattered with blood, and although I can hear the sounds of weapons clanging and explosives going off, I can't see anyone. Maybe I'm going crazy.

I stand up unsteadily. Maybe if I just walk away from the battlefield, I can clear my mind a little. Because as bad as it looks, all of this blood has to end somewhere.

"Hey, you must be the new recruit."

I jump at the sound and fall on my face. Spitting out some dirt, I glance up at the mystery figure. He looks about the same age as me, with curly brown hair and a slight limp, seeming to favor his right leg.

He looks around calmly, as if all the red is a normal sight for him. Pulling me up to my feet, he gestures toward the southeast. "We're in the south woods right now, so if we go this way, we'll make it to the Big House. I'm Grover, by the way."

Grover starts walking away before stopping. "You might want to stick right behind me. Any wrong steps and we might activate a land mine. I guess it doesn't really matter though, since we can't die." I freeze mid-step.

"What?"

Grover checks his watch, like he has better things to do than safely guide someone out of a rigged forest. He looks at me pitifully. "We can't die. You can get shot right in the heart or accidentally get run over by a truck a hundred times. You'll still feel the pain of dying, but sooner or later you'll just wake up like nothing happened. Listen, if we get to the Big House, someone can explain it to you better."

I must still be frozen because Grover sighs and grabs my arm, carefully leading me out of the woods. The sounds of fighting fade away, and I take my time looking at the sights. It thankfully looks normal enough out here; a little like a summer camp. There are some stables and a lake; a mess hall and a strawberry field.

Yet something feels a little off.

There's an armory and an arena, but I'm too confused to even question it.

A girl appears out of nowhere as we pass some trees. I realize that she jumped out of one, and wonder how much stealth it takes to not shake a single branch. She is small and petite, and dressed in camouflage. She smiles at us.

Grover speaks first. "Hi, Juniper. I haven't seen you in a while. Any information?"

She pauses, twirling some of her brown hair around a finger. "Well, I heard news about an invasion in the city, but nothing out of the blue. Nothing that we aren't used to."

Grover shrugs. "Well, we never know. Anyway, I've got to drop this one off at the Big House, so see you in a bit." Juniper nods, turning to stride away. When I blink, she's gone. The only thing that's left is a small trace of her perfume.

Grover seems amused. "She's one of our best spies. We call people like her tree nymphs, just because they blend in so well. Anyway, we'll get to the Big House in a few minutes, so hang in there."

* * *

_**Half-Blood Base- Big House floor 1**_

_**September 5**__**th**_

_**3:15 PM**_

"Well, I have to go scout out some possible recruits. Annabeth'll behead me if I waste another minute. I suppose I shouldn't be afraid of death, but her torture methods are even worse than the Underground. If you feel the urge to vomit, go to the first door on the left on the second floor. For now, just wait here and make yourself comfortable."

Grover leaves before I can answer. As the door clicks shut, I sit on a couch. I have to be hallucinating. I mean, not dying? Not possible. It's just not possible. It's not-

"Oh, it's possible." A girl with red hair is suddenly standing in front me, snapping her fingers directly in front of my face. "Of course, it's preferred that you try to live for as long as possible, because the pain still kills." She pauses. "I'm Rachel Elizabeth Dare, by the way. Call me Red, and I'll drive a knife through your crotch."

I'm suddenly afraid, and it's not because of her definitely intimidating threat. Her eyes have a slight glassy look that you can only see up close. As if she can feel my urge to bolt, she grabs my hand gently.

"Let's go to my cave. I feel more comfortable there."

"Umm… cave?"

She laughs. When she smiles, she looks slightly more human. "I'm somewhat like a psychic. Special benefits, y'know?"

"Whatever you say."

She rolls her eyes, steering me out the door. "I get that this whole 'not dying' thing is messing with your mind, but try to adjust a little more quickly. It's pretty much guaranteed to kill you once or twice in the beginning. I'll explain everything in a while."

* * *

_**Half Blood Base- Oracle Cave**_

_**September 5**__**th**_

_**3:25 PM**_

"Home sweet home!"

Rachel collapses on a sofa, gesturing for me to sit down next to her. I awkwardly sit as Rachel fixes her eyes on me. They're green, like mine, but a few shades lighter and a few shades creepier.

"I bet you think we're all insane, am I correct? A bunch of nut jobs that believe in immortality. Except guess what. You're wrong."

I stare at the ground. "Immortality doesn't exist."

Rachel laughs, but it has no real feeling in it. It sounds bitter. "Titans rule. We live in what's considered the 'Golden Age.' Anyone who's on our side has a traumatic past."

I raise my eyebrows at the last part, but Rachel shrugs. Her eyes are cloudy. "Say you saw your twin brother die right in front of you. Times like that are when you realize that life's nothing but a cruel game."

She smiles sadly. "When you realize that, the Titans have to get rid of you before you start playing along. Except they keep you. They give you eternal life in exchange for everlasting entertainment. They kill you and bring you back to life."

I'm silent for a moment as Rachel absently swings her legs. Before I can stop myself, I blurt something out. "What happened to you?"

She sighs. "I'm a Dare. My father destroys land to place some building. I always organize protests. He put up with that for fifteen years, and I guess he finally snapped. He threatened to run me over if I didn't move, and I ended up in this hellhole. I've been here for a year."

She forces a smile. "There are two ways to give up. Join the Titans, or live a normal life. But there's a catch to the second option. You can't enjoy yourself, because if you do, you eventually forget your reason for coming back."

Rachel stands up and starts pacing. I realize that she's trembling a little. Her eyes look even glassier than normal. She suddenly stops. "What's your name?"

I realize that that's the first time anyone asked. Grover and Juniper were preoccupied, so I guess they didn't notice. "Percy Jackson."

She nods. "You can't remember your past, right? Well, it's better you not know as of now. We have to get you settled. Any other questions?"

I nod slowly. "If Titans are bad guys, who's the good side?"

She glares. "Us. Well, the base stationed here in New York… we're referred to as half-bloods. The base in California is more commonly known as demigods, since they're sterner. I…" She takes a deep breath. "A long time ago, there were gods, but they've long since… left. We still use Greek terms out of habit, but we're on our own."

Her eyes soften. "Percy, just remember. We fight the Titans because they mess with everyone's mind. But you have to remember that there are tons of minions. People have gone insane knowing that everywhere, people are staring. So… just don't lose sight of what matters, okay?"

* * *

_**Half Blood Base- Big House infirmary**_

_**September 5**__**th**_

_**5:00 PM**_

I regret allowing Rachel to demonstrate our immunity to permanently dying. I didn't think she was serious. By that time, I was convinced that we couldn't die, but nothing can ever make me recover from the emotional shock.

_Flashback_

"_So… we can't die."_

"_I knew you were slow, but not __this__ slow. Yes, we cannot die, you idiot."_

"_How long exactly does it take to… respawn?"_

"_We aren't aliens. But the time depends on the injury. For example, if I crush your head completely until your brain was falling out, it would probably take anywhere from three to five days. But we normally don't have injuries that severe, so you can expect to wake up in less than a day."_

"_So if I get stabbed in the heart..?"_

"_Can I demonstrate?"_

"_Yeah, sure. Wait, what-?"_

_**SLASH**_

_Flashback_

"Look who's awake."

Grover is sitting on a stool next to the bed. Next to him are the bloodstained remains of my clothes. I feel like I'll puke. He hands me a tall iced glass with a liquid that looks like apple juice. I take a sip and nearly choke when I realize it's warm and scarily nostalgic.

_Chocolate chip cookies..._

"It's called nectar. One of the only things that survived from the gods." Grover talks as I drain the glass. When I finish, the ice cubes are still perfectly solid. "It can trigger some memories if dealed with properly, but usually it's just for comfort reasons."

"Did Rachel really..?"

"Yeah, she stabbed you. If you want, I can give you your bloody clothes. She left the knife there as a consolation prize." I turn green in the face.

Grover gets up, all business now. "Now that you've had your first death, I have to bring you to our leader."

"Let's go meet Annabeth Chase."

* * *

**A/N**

**Done.**

**I have no more to say. :D**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N**

**Meh, I just realized a typo in the last chapter. It's supposed to be the Underworld, I think. Not Underground. Or am I wrong again? Sorry, recovering from some carsickness. Anyway, I'm not really sure where this story is going, but I'll attempt to finish it this time.**

**Listening to Girls Dead Monster's "Highest Life" right now. It's in Japanese. Even though I can't understand it (LMAO not Japanese), it was in Angel Beats, so… yeah.**

**Yui~**

* * *

_**Half Blood Base-Big House rec room**_

_**September 5**__**th**_

_**6:30 PM**_

"Um, Grover, how long do I have to wait, exactly?"

Grover blushes slightly, tapping his foot against the wooden floor. He seems rather annoyed, muttering curses under his breath. I lean against the ping pong table. Now that I think of it, this is an odd meeting room. Grover shrugs. "Annabeth should be here by now. Maybe she died, although I don't think that's correct."

I jump when the door suddenly slams open, but Grover merely nods in greeting. "Clarisse." A burly girl marches in, armed with several knives and a rifle strapped to her back. She nods to Grover and glares at me.

"He the newbie? Looks a bit scrawny, don't you think? Be prepared to die a couple of times, punk. Prissy, right?" I try not to clench my teeth.

"It's Percy."

Clarisse rolls her eyes, settling down on a chair. "Whatever. Just stay out of my way, or you'll feel the other end of my spear." She pulls out one from a previously hidden location. "Meet Maimer."

Grover taps his fingers on his knee. "More like Lamer."

Her eye twitches slightly. "Watch it." Before Clarisse can make a move, the door opens again. This time two girls walk in; a tall blond girl and a slightly shorter girl with kaleidoscope eyes. They look like they're arguing about something. The shorter one seems agitated.

"-him! That idiot would die ten times more without me watching his back!" The taller rolls her eyes.

"Well, Jason's smart. In fact, I'm certain Leo can watch his own back fine. It's only a few states away, in Massachusetts. All they have to do is check on the prototypes. We've done harder."

Grover clears his throat pointedly. The shorter girl blushes and quickly apologizes, walking out the door. The taller shuts the door quietly. She looks me up and down. I shiver. Her gray eyes are intimidating. She finally cracks a smile.

"Percy Jackson, am I correct? I'm Annabeth, and welcome to the Demigod Battlefront. Well, I hope to die multiple times with you."

I shake her hand. Annabeth definitely has the confident stance of a leader, but she looks about the same age as me, if not a little older. She glances at her watch, then at Clarisse, who's throwing some knives at the wall. "Where is everyone?"

She shrugs. "Dunno. Might be fighting. Dying, even."

Annabeth scowls. "Those idiots. Grover, check the infirmary. If any one of them are in there and dead, I'll be sure to put them through hell twice."

Grover nods and exits, throwing me a sideways smirk. Clarisse dismisses herself a little later, telling us she'll round up the retards. I personally think that's a little too insulting, but Annabeth rolls her eyes like she agrees. She suddenly gestures for me to stand up. "Well, we might as well pick out some weapons for you. Don't want you dying this early."

I grin sheepishly. "A little too late for that. Rachel skewered me a while ago."

She winces slightly, although she looks like she's holding back a grin. "Rachel's a bit unique. Although I suppose we all are. Well, come on. Might as well go to the shed while we're still whole."

* * *

_**Half Blood Base- weapon shed**_

_**September 5**__**th**_

_**7:00 PM**_

I stand by the doorway as Annabeth pokes her head through various weapons. Outside, the sun is starting to set, streaking the sky with orange and red. It still smells like summer. Crickets are coming out to chirp and the breeze smells like baked strawberries.

Annabeth looks at me. "Well? Help me look. This is for _you_, you know."

I start picking up various weapons. "Sorry. I was kind of out of it." Annabeth nods sympathetically, holding up a sword for me to view. I shake my head no and she sets it down, wandering in more.

"Yeah, it's common. You'll get used to it soon enough. We half bloods, we're like family." She hesitates slightly, and I might have been imagining it because she keeps looking like nothing happened. "You need a close range weapon and a gun. You don't seem the type to be able to handle a bow properly, so I won't even bother. Maybe a back up knife, if you lose your main weapon."

There are rows of various weapons lining the wall and several guns on tables that are scattered around. I can't really tell the difference, but Annabeth advises me to check the weight.

"If it's too light for you, it's not enough. Too heavy, and you won't be able to handle it properly." I walk past some cross bows and knives. I wonder if I'll be able to use one properly.

"_Um, mommy?"_

"_Yes, Percy?"_

"_I… kind of broke the vase."_

"_I keep on telling you not to swing the baseball bat indoors!"_

"_Sorry, mom."_

"_Just be more careful next time, okay? Chocolate chip cookie?"_

"_Yay!"_

I put a hand to my head. Memory, maybe? Annabeth eyes me curiously before dismissing it as a slight headache. She casually picks up a gun and checks the pump action before setting it down and trying another one. There's a bronze sword in the corner of the shed. I pick it up. Its weight feels perfect, and I swing it around a couple of times.

"Are you sure you like that one?" Annabeth winces at my choice, as if I picked poorly. I grin, swinging it a few times. She still seems to be hesitating. "That sword has a long history. Some say it's cursed by the god Ares."

I roll my eyes, suddenly defiant. "If we can't die, what's the point of being scared?"

Annabeth pauses. Finally she sighs, rubbing her temples. "…Fine. It's called Anaklusmos, or Riptide in English. We still need to pick your other weapons, so please avoid stabbing yourself." She goes back to a shelf of knives, selecting a few. Laying them out on an empty table, she gestures for me to come. "You need one throwing knife and one combat knife at the minimum. Pick one from each pile. I picked them by weight, so they should roughly fit to your needs."

I randomly pick two because I can hardly see the difference between each of them. Annabeth puts them back on the shelf and leads me deeper into the shed. "The guns are back here."

I eye all of them. "Which one's the best?" Annabeth looks at me carefully then back at the guns.

"Well, since you already have a sword, I suppose you'll do well with a small one like a shotgun for storage reasons. Here, I recommend that one right there. It was used by one of our halfbloods before she transferred to the Californian base. I hear she's a leader there now."

I pick up the one she's pointing to. It's light, but also dependable. Annabeth looks satisfied, glancing at her watch. "It's time for our meeting. I hope everyone's there. Come on, Percy. Let's introduce you to some halfbloods."

* * *

_**Half Blood Base- rec room**_

_**September 5**__**th**_

_**7:30 PM**_

Annabeth looks like she's going to bust a vein or something. She's fingering her knife like she's tempted to just fling it at someone. Everyone looks uncomfortable.

"Can someone please tell me where Connor and Travis are?"

A girl with straight brown hair and green eyes shrugs. "Last time I saw, they were robbing a convenience store. Nothing too big. I mean, it won't disrupt anyone's routine enough for the Titans to take notice."

Annabeth nods, although she still looks angry. "Katie, go find them. If you can't find them within five minutes, call me." Katie nods, exiting. Clarisse looks bored.

"Can we go on with the meeting without those noobs?"

Annabeth nods, seating herself at the desk at the back of the room. Putting on a headset, she types a password on the built-in code on the armrest on the chair. I hear a click, and then a huge screen rolls down from the ceiling.

"The last time we met, we agreed to break into an enemy building in Maine, am I correct? Now-"

The door suddenly bursts open. There stands Katie, holding two boys by the scruffs of their necks, like kittens. They look scared out of their minds, and Katie just looks pissed.

The taller one opens his mouth first. "Um, we-"

_**FLING**_

There's now a knife pinned to the door, precisely an inch above his head. Annabeth's face is a shadow. She smiles a sticky sweet smile. "Care to sit down? You're disrupting the meeting. Thank you, Katie." Katie nods, taking her place beside the girl Piper. The brothers quietly settle on a couch, faces beet-red.

Annabeth turns to point at the screen, which is now a map of Maine. "As I was saying, we have recently discovered a new hideout in Portland, Maine. We've sent the Hunters to scout out the area."

I quietly whisper to Grover, who's sitting with me. "Hunters?"

"A band of girls who act as our scouts. It's rumored that Artemis once had a group called the Hunters of Artemis who hunted together." Grover whispers back, not taking his eyes off of Annabeth.

Annabeth taps a button. A picture of a girl pops up on the screen. She has a regal look to her face, complete with cold eyes. "Zoë, please report."

The girl responds. "It seems to be a temporary base. We have at least three weeks tops before they move. I have Thalia on watch at the moment." She has an accent, but I can't identify it.

Annabeth nods. "Anything else?"

Zoë hesitates for a split second. She quickly regains her composure. "There seems to be a stronger opponent in this particular area. However, we cannot pinpoint it."

Annabeth smiles. "Perfect, a challenge. Thank you, Zoë. Signing out." The screen blackens and rolls back up into the ceiling. "I'm now assigning job positions. No one move." She quickly points at everyone in the room and names a job. I'm the last she calls. Annabeth grins. "Last but not least; Percy. You're the decoy."

Before I can protest, she stands up, setting her hands down on the desk.

"Operation start!"

* * *

**A/N**

**April vacation! :D**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N**

**Nothing to say at the moment.**

**It's been such a long time since I actually typed something that isn't for school.**

* * *

_**Montauk Beach**_

_**September 6**__**th**_

_**10:00 AM**_

"Percy, you're pathetic."

Nico seems frustrated with me because I can't throw a knife correctly. Annabeth had commanded him to bring me to the training area for some practice, and I can tell Nico regretted ever agreeing. He repeats the instructions again.

_Aim slightly above the target…_

_Relax arm…_

_Bring arm forward in swift movement…_

I mutter the words to myself as I take aim again. This time my knife lands in the ocean. Nico grimaces as he goes to fish it out. "Honestly, you should've hit the target at least once, even by accident. You're defying the laws of logic." He wipes off the salt water. "Let's hope you'll never need this."

As impossible as that sounds, I shrug. Maybe if I stepped closer, I would have a better chance, although I highly doubt it. Nico demonstrates for me again. It hits the bulls-eye, and I go forward to retrieve it. When I try, however, it lands in a sand mound. Nico sighs. "Maybe you just have really bad hand-eye coordination."

I scowl. "I'm good at baseball! I mean, I think…" I rub my temples like Annabeth had done the day before. Nico pats my shoulder. He'd probably seen this happen tons of other times. He again repeats the instructions. This time I manage to get it on the board. Nico grins like it's a huge milestone.

"Finally! Granted, you'll probably miss any target smaller than that board, but it's progress. I should text Annabeth. She wanted to see how long it would take for you." Nico takes out his phone and texts Annabeth. A minute later the phone buzzes.

"She told me to tell you that you better be good at the other weapons, or she'll fry your ass." Nico gives the knife back to me and takes out the gun. "Now, I think this is self-explanatory, but listen."

"Load the bullets like this, see? Now hold down the pump lightly so you hear the click. When you fully press down, the bullet flies out. Okay, aim at that board right there." He points out a thick board that's stuck on a rock. I close my right eye and aim. Surprisingly, it's a bulls-eye.

Nico nods. "Good. Now try running and hit a bulls-eye." As he walks me through different challenges, I realize that I'm much better at using a gun than a knife. At least, I'm much more likely to be useful using a gun.

After a while, Nico stops me. "Moving on. Take out your sword and let's spar." I take out Riptide. It shines as I face Nico. He beckons me forward. "Go on. Make your move." I look confused, but I nod.

I slash at him. Quicker than a bullet, he rolls on his side while whipping out his sword. It's pure black and seems to make the air ten degrees colder. Nico swipes the sword under my feet in an attempt to trip me. I jump over quickly.

Nico grins. "I'll set the timer on my phone for five minutes. If you stay alive until the end, you pass the basic course which should be enough for your first mission." He takes out his phone and sets the time. Putting it down on a rock, he levels his sword.

"Ready?"

I make a jab at his shoulder, but Nico jumps and kicks me on the chest. I roll leaving him to impale the sand. I make a slash at his back this time. Nico jumps up and tackles me.

Two minutes are gone.

I hit him with the hilt of the sword. Nico falls back on the sand. I try stabbing at his foot, but he jumps up and trips me. Now _I'm_ the one who's on the floor.

One minute gone. Two minutes left.

Nico winks. "Nice try, Percy." He slashes at my chest, but I intercept with Riptide and pull Nico forward. Getting up, I face Nico again.

One minute left.

Nico then does something unexpected. Sliding towards me baseball-styled, he yanks my arm down and literally flips me. He stands over me and prepares to stab my stomach when the timer goes off.

_**Beep! Beep! Beep!**_

He helps me up. I rub my head and glare at him. "You could've gone easier on me. I could've _died." _ He rolls his eyes at me as he brushes off the sand off his T-shirt.

"You're over-reacting. Anyway, let's head back to the base."

* * *

_**New York- Starbucks**_

_**September 6**__**th**_

_**1:00 PM**_

I settle down at a table as Nico gets in line. "I thought we were going back to the base." Nico shrugs as he looks at the menu. I tap my fingers impatiently on the tabletop.

"What can I say? I got thirsty. Watching you fail at throwing knives really drains me. Do you want anything?"

I sigh. "Won't Annabeth get mad?"

He gives me a sly look. "As long as we bring her a plate of Lemon Sweet Squares, it's fine. She just loves those."

I shrug. Whatever. "Just get me a regular iced coffee." Nico sticks his tongue out at me.

"Is that it? Seriously? I mean, money isn't that important. If we ever need any more, we can always tell the Stolls to rob a bank or something."

"Fine. A glazed donut."

Nico sighs. "You're so boring. Alright, it's almost my turn." I settle back on the chair. This is unbelievable. We're not normal; practically aliens or something, and Nico still finds time to go to Starbucks. Sometime later he comes back with a tray. Nico bought himself some kind of dark chocolate cake and a drink filled with some kind of liquid and lots of whipped cream and caramel drizzled on top.

"How are you not fat yet?"

Nico puts everything into a bag. "I'm a growing boy."

* * *

_**Half Blood Base- Big House porch**_

_**September 6**__**th**_

_**1:30 PM**_

We watch as Annabeth attempts to be angry at us. Finally she caves and takes the plate and fork. "If not for this, I'd make you go on patrol for taking detours."

Nico gives her a thumbs-up. "Percy fails at the knife, but he's good with the gun and decent at the sword." Annabeth takes a bite out of the miniature cake, looking me up and down.

"Well, I suppose you'll be able to hold your own for a while. Oh, and Nico, your sister's here for a visit." Nico's eyes go wide.

"Where?" Annabeth points toward the strawberry fields. Nico dashes towards the fields in a frenzy.

I watch him trip over a rock. "He has a sister?"

Annabeth leans against the porch. "Bianca Di Angelo. She's our best sniper and she travels with the Hunters, so we don't see her that often."

She faces me, taking another bite of her pastry. I sip my coffee. "Anyway, we go on Thursday, which is two days from now. Do you think you're ready?"

I nod. "As ready as I'll ever be."

She smiles. "Everyone's scattered right now, so I guess you have free time until dinner at eight. See you then, Percy."

* * *

_**New York City-store A**_

_**September 6**__**th**_

_**1:55 PM**_

I'm not sure how I got stuck helping Silena Beauregard go shopping, but she seemed so happy I couldn't refuse. She chatters to me as she hands the cashier a credit card. Handing me another bag to carry, she points to another store across the street.

"Hey, I don't think I've ever seen that shop before. Let's check it out!"

She exits the store before I can warn her that another bag will permanently dislocate my arm. Sighing, I follow her.

* * *

_**New York City- store B**_

_**September 6**__**th**_

_**1:56**_

Silena is looking inside the store from the window when I finallycatch up with her. She's mumbling to herself, tapping the side of her face with a manicured finger. Finally she shrugs, opening the twin doors. Gesturing for me to put the doors on a coffee table, she faces me.

"This isn't right, Percy."

I raise an eyebrow. "It looks like any other store in New York. In fact, this is like any store in any country." Silena sighs, looking at me with pity.

"This store popped out of nowhere over night. I'm around this area everyday for missions, and there weren't any signs of construction. And B, take a closer look at the merchandise."

My eyes widen as I look at the displays. Instead of clothes, there are weapons and destroyed pieces of armor. I take a step closer when Silena screams. She's pointing at the doors we used. There are now bars over them. Guess we can't leave now.

I growl in frustration and take out Riptide. Above, there are more floors filled with gruesome items. There's a rack with shirts with bloody spots, even. Silena just looks pissed.

"I'm going to call Annabeth." She takes out her phone but freezes when an automatic voice comes up.

"_WARNING: ANY ACTIONS MAY BE CONSIDRED A THREAT. PLEASE PUT THE DEVICE DOWN. I REPEAT: PUT THE PHONE DEVICE WILL SELF-EXPLODE IN 10 SECONDS."_

Silena narrows her eyes. Hurling it at the entrance, Silena takes my arm and pulls me back a few feet. The phone explodes on impact with the doors, but when the smoke clears, the doors are still intact. Silena just smiles. "Looks like someone's messing with us, huh?"

She points at the stairs. "You know what they say. When in doubt, go up a floor!"

"I honestly can't think of anyone who says that."

Silena's too far away to hear at this pint so I just follow her. On the second floor are a bunch of lethal weapons. I find Silena looking in an aisle. She flashes a smile at me. "We might as well stock-pile while we can. Besides, the base can always use more." She carefully puts some knives in her purse while I take a couple of adjustable spears and stick them in my backpack.

"Hello, customers. May I assist you of anything?"

There's now a young woman staring at us unwaveringly. She flashes a sweet smile, but her eyes are totally lifeless. She glances at the weapons we're stashing. Smiling, she steps closer. "Are you planning to purchase those? Because if you aren't, shoplifting is prohibited."

Silena continues putting in a few tasers. "Why are we not allowed to leave?" The woman stops walking and smiles, as if she's enjoying some kind of personal joke.

"We cannot allow you to leave without paying, of course!" With the last word, she lunges at me. Her eyes are dead, but her smile is sadistic. Before I can use Riptide on her, she suddenly jerks to the side. She falls silent. Silena tosses her gun in the air, looking at the woman on the floor.

"She's a doll, Percy. A human mannequin without a heart. I suspect that there are more of them on the top floors. Let's continue stocking before we proceed." Silena has lost her girlish manner. She now has a determined look in her eyes. She reminds me of a ruthless killer, and suddenly I thank the gods she's on my side.

I stuff more guns and bombs in my backpack until I almost can't zip it. I start walking until a cold hand grabs my leg. The worker is still smiling. It's frightening because a large hole is right on her neck. Still she smiles. Her eyes show no pain, and I think that's the scariest part. "I'm so sorry I couldn't have been of any assistance. If you still cannot find what you want, may I suggest asking our manager on the top floor?"

Silena shoots another bullet into the heart of the doll before it can utter another word. The grip on my leg slackens, and I shake it away in disgust. I start walking, but Silena tells me to stop.

She searches the pockets of the doll's shirt until she finds a card. Silena smiles, holding it up for me to see.

_Welcome to M's, where you can find a variety of items to fit your needs! Five floors filled with everything ranging from pets to weapons._

_On the top floor you can find our beloved fountain that is said to make you youthful once again. With the help of our manager, Her Majesty, you'll be able to test it, free of charge._

_Care to try? Only at M's!_

Silena pockets the card. "We'll have to write a report for Annabeth later. She's really strict about it." Kicking aside the lifeless mannequin, she grins at me, twirling her newly acquired knife.

"As Annabeth says, mission start!"

* * *

**A/N**

**So a bunch of you have made references to Doctor Who. I have no idea who s/he is. Care to explain, please?**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/n**

**Vacation's just about ending. D:**

**EDIT_ It's gone. D':**

* * *

_**New York City- ?'s department store**_

_**September 6**__**th**_

_**2:30 PM**_

"Silena, you can't be serious."

Silena secures the knots around my waist and gives it a good tug. I'm not even sure why she had a rope in the first place, but she grins and looks over the railing, pulling me with the rope.

"Just grab a few bottles of sunscreen since we forgot them earlier." Silena starts tying the other end to an exit door. We tried opening it earlier, but it was conveniently stuck. I gulp and chuckle nervously. "Can't we just walk down the stairs...?"

She flicks me on the head. "They already put two dolls down there. For all we know, they could be setting up an ambush. This way, you'll be hidden by the shelves. That is, if the rope holds you up. Anyway, I'm dropping you now."

Before I can even react, she ties her handkerchief around my mouth and shoves me over the edge. I scream, but the sound is muffled by the cloth. Silena's a genius for all of her cheerful school girl antics.

I spin around on the rope for a few seconds before I see the sun screen. I don't even know why we need it, but I reach out to grab the bottles. I hiss up at Silena, "I can't reach them." She frowns and disappears for a moment. When she's back, she's struggling to hold onto the rope.

"I'm holding onto it now, so… no sudden movements, or you'll crack your skull." I grab some bottles and put them in my backpack with some difficulty. Suddenly Silena whips her head behind her. Her eyes are wide when she faces me again. "Hurry up!" She pulls up the rope without bothering to check if I'm ready. I land on my butt with the rope still on me. Silena slashes at it with her knife and the ropes fall. I gesture to the handkerchief but Silena is pointing behind a shelf.

"I heard something."

I reach for Riptide, then start searching my backpack frantically. With horror, I look over the railing. An employee is turning my sword over with her hands and sticking a price tag on it.

_USED: $150.00_

Crap. I don't even have ten dollars on me right now.

I turn back to my backpack and grab a gun. Silena tip toes over to the shelf and peeks behind it, holding her knife cautiously. Frowning, she walks closer. "I don't see anyone. Was it just me?"

I walk behind the shelf in confusion. There's no one there, but Silena would never confuse a sound. Finally she shrugs. "Let's go up a floor, yes?"

We march up the stairs, stiffly holding our weapons. I stuck two knives in my pockets and strapped a spear to my back. I'm not sure what Silena's hiding, but her expression's enough to scare the crap out of me. The next floor is apparently the last with stairs. The only way to proceed is by elevator, but I suspect we don't need to go any further.

A sparkling fountain glimmers in the middle of the floor. Dozens of aisles fill the room. Potions of various colors line the room from floor to ceiling. Silena's eyes widen in awe. Rushing forward, she takes various jars and puts them in her purse. I shrug and do the same. What the heck, you know? It's not every day you can take stuff without paying.

"Welcome to my department store, my children."

I swear the woman wasn't there before. Silena whips out a gun wearily, concealing it in her pocket. The woman smiles, taking a seat near the fountain.

"You may call me Your Majesty, or the Princess of Colchis. Whichever you prefer. Now, may I take you to some of our best-selling items?"

Her voice is soothing, and I find myself walking toward her in some sort of trance. She taps her long red fingernails on her leg, thoughtfully eyeing me. She pats the seat next to her. In an instant, Silena unfreezes and grabs my shoulder, forcing me back. The woman shrugs and gets up, brushing off her gown-like dress. She waves her hand dismissively. "My sweet lady, no need to be protective your company. I was only trying to help, is all."

Silena pushes me back a few feet. She pauses, trying to identify the face. "You look familiar."

The saleswoman steps closer, her high heels clicking against the marble floor. Outside the huge windows, pedestrians walk on the sidewalks, totally unaware of what's happening. A few look at the building, but they shrug, as if it's not of concern.

"Perhaps I have a common face? After all, I'm only the manager of this lovely store."

Silena refuses to give up. "You have an accent. How long have you been in this country?"

"I've only been here for a few months. The paper work took especially long. I like to travel, you see. I have a large variety of stores across the world." She laughs, the diamonds on her jewelry glittering in the afternoon light. Above, the ceiling is made of glass. The sun is starting to sink. We've been here longer than we thought.

Something seems to click in Silena's head. She gasps and whips out the gun without a pause, pointing it at the woman's head. The woman doesn't seem to be surprised and nonchalantly admires the big ring on her finger. Silena glares and loads a bullet, not firing. "You're Medea."

"Yes."

"You're wanted by the Demigod Battlefront in about 14 different countries."

"I'm well aware of that."

They seem to be arguing in a very civil manner, but I'm confused. "Fourteen countries?"

Silena nods, not taking her eyes off Medea. "We're universal."

Medea sits down again, snapping her fingers crisply. Silena frowns and pushes the pump on the gun a little further. From a back room I hadn't noticed before, two dragons come flying out, twirling in the open room. Their scales glitter coppery, but their eyes aren't nearly as beautiful. Silena stops the staring contest with Medea and grabs my backpack, taking out two bottles of sunscreen. "Quick," she says. "put this on. Fast."

She squirts a huge gob of the white cream and spreads it on her skin, covering all the key points. I don't understand why, but I do the same, throwing the empty bottle on the floor. The dragons continue flying near the ceiling. Suddenly they stop and glide at us. Wisps of fire come out of their mouths. Medea cackles, and it sends shivers through my spine. So much for the queen-like attitude.

I move my arms but Silena stands there confidently. As the fire touches us, I brace myself, but no pain comes. I open my eyes cautiously. The flames are clearly touching us, but it's like there's no physical contact. Silena fires her gun at one dragon and the bullet damages one wing, causing the dragon to glide off course. It roars in pain, but Silena skillfully flicks a knife at it and the life dissolves from the dragons cruel eyes.

When the smoke clears, the dragon is perched on Medea's shoulder, looking more blood-thirsty than ever. Medea frowns in annoyance. "I suppose I should have put away my supply of sun block, but no matter. There are other ways to kill you." Silena attempts to shoot at her, but the gun shoots a blank instead. Cursing in annoyance, she throws it on the floor, taking out another one.

The dragon watches us with empty eyes. It's kind of like the mannequins, in a way. I remember that I have weapons myself. I feel useless, being protected by a girl. I slowly take out a knife, and the dragon's dark eyes follow my movements. It turns out to be a throwing knife.

Medea snaps her fingers again, and the dragon flys toward us full-speed, extending its claws. At the angle we're at, it's likely to pin our necks. Silena knocks me down. In the slight millisecond while I'm falling to the floor, I fling the knife straight up. It clips the dragon near the back of its neck. I don't see how it did any harm, but the dragon drops cold.

It's not dead, exactly, but it looks paralyzed. Silena grins at me for the first time in hours."You hit some nerves there, Percy. This baby won't be moving for a while."

Medea looks displeased as we face her. I take out my last knife. Silena smiles confidently. "Your dragons are out. Come peacefully, and we might not have to kill you."

Medea's face takes on a slight crazy look. "You think you're the only one who can't die? Dear, I've been alive since the beginning of the Golden Age. Centuries of experience, and you think you can take me out? You're on my territory, sweetie. I hope you didn't forget that."

She lunges forward. I steady my knife, but she slips past us and quickly selects some potions. "These can kill you with one touch. What're your chances of winning?" Silena backs up a few steps. She then does something unexpected. Selecting a random potion from a near-by shelf, she hurls it at Medea. Medea dodges easily, taunting Silena.

"Nice try, dear."

Silena just smirks and points at the potions. The one she threw smashes against some other ones. I take one and throw it at the displays. Pretty soon, colorful gases fill the area and Medea curses. She's completely enveloped in the mist. Coughing, she gives one more curse.

"You… idiots! When they… blend… like this, they... become prone to… exploding! If I die… I hope… you come with… me!"

I look around. The stairs are covered with potions, and the elevator is too far away. I take the knife and throw it out the window, shattering the glass. Silena looks proud at me.

"Well," Silena takes one last look at Medea. "have fun in hell. I hear the Underworld is especially nice this time of the year."

With that, she grabs my arm and pulls me out the window as Medea screeches. The smell is becoming a little too strong, and I block my nose as I escape the building. Silena lets go of me half way through the air and I brace myself. I don't see the chances of surviving a three story crash.

At the bottom, Silena gives a graceful cat-like flip, landing carefully on her feet. I, however, land in a kneeling position. The pain kills. Silena carefully sits me up. Smiling slowly, she takes something out from underneath her designer jacket.

"I brought Riptide." She takes off the sticker and hands it to me. My head is spinning, and my eye sight's foggy. Facing a random pedestrian, she puts on a scared girl look.

"Can I please borrow your cell phone? Someone was supposed to pick us up, but they're half an hour late."

Silena gives me a slightly concerned look as she dials in Annabeth's number. I slowly close my eyes, wishing the pain would go away.

* * *

_**Half Blood Base- infirmary**_

_**September 8th**_

_**8:30 AM**_

I sleepily rub my eyes as I try to recollect what happed. Medea… department store… jumping? I feel a slight pain in my head. I yelp as I try to sit up but end up falling down again.

Annabeth is sitting next to me. She smirks as she hands me something that looks like a lemon square. I know that Annabeth loves them, but I don't understand why she's giving me one.

"It's ambrosia, the food of the gods. It'll clear your head, I bet." She places it into my mouth and I nearly drool. The flavor is indescribable and I weakly reach for another piece. Annabeth laughs. "Finish that bite. If you take in too much at a time, you might just burn up and die."

I swallow. "Silena..?" Annabeth gives me a thumbs up. She's silent for a while as she feeds me more bites of ambrosia. "Percy, today's Thursday." I nearly start choking and Annabeth tips some water from a glass into my mouth.

"Mission… today?"

"You just missed them." Annabeth feeds me the last bite of ambrosia before standing up. "If you're up to it later, you can help me monitor their mission from the rec room."

I sit up. "I couldn't have been this weak from jumping out of a building. What... what happened?" Annabeth shrugs, pulling open the door. Morning mist flows through the open fields, giving the air a cool feeling. It seems too normal for a lair for dead people.

"You might've inhaled too much of the poisonous mixture, or you might have collapsed from a mix of stress and the pain in your legs. Will Solace will come check you in a few minutes, so sit tight, 'kay?" Annabeth smiles at me as she exits. She almost looks like a goddess, standing in the sunlight. I lay back down. It must be my mind. In the few days I've been in this afterlife place, Annabeth's been like a life line I can trust, like a best friend, maybe, but not a love interest. Definitely not. My head's spinning again.

I didn't notice the door open. "Hey, Percy, I'm Will." A tall blond guy with blue eyes closes the door, his white coat flapping a little in the breeze. He looks only a few years older than me, maybe a senior in high school, but he looks very used to this.

"You're trained?"

Will looks through some cabinets for something. "Well, I was something like a medical prodigy before I died. I've been doing things like this since I was in eighth grade."

I look at him in awe. "I don't even remember my past yet."

Will finally extracts a clip board with some notes on them, no doubt about me. He flips through the pages carefully. "It'll come back soon. Now, Percy, your system should be cleared out by now, but I suggest staying here for at least another half-hour so your feet are steady. I'll be leaving now, okay?"

He places the clip board down and is about to leave when I call out to him. "Wait. Why are you here? You saved like hundreds of lives, probably."

Will's steps slow down. He looks back at me wistfully. "Miracle Hands. Ever heard of them? Well, I was probably one of the best doctors in the world, but nothing that good holds out forever."

He's gone before I know it. I sigh and start counting the ceiling tiles.

_ Will ended up here despite saving people. What the hell did __I__ do?_

* * *

**A/N**

**Looks like Percy's in denial~**

**Ah, Annabeth and Percy are adorable together.**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N**

**Meh, my dad just made sausages.**

…**Mmm, sausages~ -drool-**

* * *

_**Half Blood Base- strawberry fields**_

_**September 8**__**th**_

_**9:00 AM**_

Grover isn't as serious as I thought he was when we first met. Actually, he's kind of a baby. Right now, he's ranting, plucking strawberries with such fury I thought the strawberries would burst. They're alright, but I don't think Grover is. The mist is gone, but the air's still damp. It smells like strawberries and clovers.

"She's so freaking annoying!" Grover growls, strangling another strawberry before dropping it in the basket. I lazily sit on the grass near the dirt, twirling a blade of grass between my fingers. I should be in bed right now, or with Annabeth, but Grover's okay too.

"Who?"

"Were you even listening? _Juniper!" _Grover's face takes on another scowl. The strawberry in his hand explodes, covering his hand with a sweet red juice. Grover curses and wipes it off with a handkerchief. I pluck one off the vine and pop it in my mouth. It's not sour at all, and I understand why people buy them.

"You guys were pretty civil on my first day here."

Grover snorts, evening out the strawberries in the basket. "Were you looking at her hands? She was fingering her knife like she wanted to kill me a million times. It's been like this since we met."

I lay down on the grass. The clouds in the sky float past. One looks a little like a sheep. I suppose they all look like sheep, though, so I shut my eyes. "Weren't you supposed to be on the mission?"

"I let Hedge fill in for me." Grover feels the weight of the basket before putting it aside and taking the other one. "Anyway, guess what the damn she-devil tried to do to me the other day? She fired an arrow a centimeter away from my face, claiming it was an accident."

I yawn sleepily. "You guys might end up together someday. Who knows?" Grover glares at me, throwing a strawberry at my face. I grab it and toss it in my mouth. Grover sighs. "If all you're going to do is eat strawberries, you might as well go to Annabeth. Tell her I said hi."

I sit up and stretch. "Will do."

* * *

_**Half Blood base- rec room**_

_**September 8th**_

_**9:10 AM**_

"Are you playing Angry Birds?"

Annabeth is playing the game on the huge screen. She turns around when she sees me, then turns back and carefully pulls back the slingshot. The bird flies up, then straight down on the head of a green pig. "There not there yet, so I'm just wasting time."

"Can I try?" Annabeth steps aside as I walk up. I fling the bird forward but misses the last pig. I try again, but this time it's too low. Annabeth smirks.

"You suck, Percy."

I stick out my tongue like an immature brat. Annabeth clicks off the game with a remote and presses some more buttons. We now see a scene of some of the people at the last meeting. Travis is driving a high-end car, and Connor's giving directions. Annabeth puts on her headset. "Can you guys hear me?"

Everyone except Travis turns back to look at the back of the car, where there's apparently a screen. "Yo, boss! What's up! Hey, it's Percy! What's up, Perce?"

Leo, a Latino elf-like person, waves at us. Clarisse knocks him on the head with a closed fist, looking a little pissed off. Annabeth raises an eyebrow. "I didn't realize you were back. Filling in for Chris?" Leo nods, rubbing his head. "Is Jason back, too?"

Leo grins. "He's with Piper in the other car. Anyway, we should be there in… approximately 1 minute and 30 seconds."

Annabeth nods, pressing a button on the remote. This time we see different people. Jason and Piper are in the front. Katie notices us first. "Well, we're on some empty road, but we ran out of gas."  
Piper scowls. "I told you I'd get us a car!"

Jason just sighs and leans back on the seat. "Fine, go ahead. I just don't get why the fuel's empty. I checked twice before leaving, I swear." Piper smiles and opens the door. I wonder how a girl that pretty can steal a car.

Annabeth looks at her watch. "I know. If Piper gets a car in the next five minutes, how long will it take to get to the enemy hideout?"

Nyssa checks her watch. "Maybe... six or seven minutes? Piper works fast."

Annabeth nods. "Report to me when you get there." She sighs as the screen blackens. "I suppose there's really no need for you to be here with me." I shrug, leaning against a wall. Annabeth taps her fingers on the wooden desk. "You still have Riptide, right? I heard about how you lost it at Medea's." I rub the back of my neck sheepishly. Annabeth points out the door. "Show it to Beckendorf at the armory. I bet he can do something about it. Tell him to make it easier to carry."

I nod and start walking. "Aye aye, captain." Suddenly my head hurts. It passes in an instant, so I think nothing of it. Annabeth is talking to Connor. Their car is apparently already there. Travis is leaning against the car drinking some Coke from a bottle. Leo's screwing shut the back of some remote. He presses a button and there's a crash off-screen. His eyes widen. "Crap, I don't think that tree was supposed to fall over." Clarisse whacks him on the head again.

I sigh; no halfblood seem normal.

* * *

_**Half Blood base- armory**_

_**September 8**__**th**_

_**9:30 AM**_

Beckendorf sets down some pointy contraption when I finish telling him about my request. He flips Riptide over so the hilt is standing straight up. Looking at the point, he nods, writing down some measurements on a scrap piece of paper. He grins at me.

"It'll be done by the end of the day, Perce. In the meantime, you can look around. Just don't touch anything."

I nod and wander in further. Near the back is a considerable amount of dust. My nose starts itching, but I wander in deeper. There's a toy robot in between a pile of things that'll someday cause the end of the world, but it doesn't seem dangerous. Suddenly I can't hold it in anymore. I sneeze. Loudly.

A small figure of what appears to be a centaur comes to life. "Die, mosquito, die!"

It rampages around on the work table, firing needs in every direction. Before I can panic and go run under a table, Beckendorf appears with a large hammer. He smashes the centaur into a million pieces, not seeming fazed at all. I peel off some needles from my shirt. Beckendorf gives me a look. "Didn't I tell you not to touch anything? Man, you're just like what Annabeth said you were."

I can't say that I'm not curious. "What?"

Beckendorf sweeps all the pieces into a pile. "A little kid who needs supervision twenty four-seven."

I scowl. What right does Annabeth have to call me a little kid? She's only a few months older than me. Besides, I'm a couple of inches taller, so she can't call me little, even if she is older. I sit on the edge of a table where something starts ticking. Beckendorf sighs and throws it out the window into an empty area. The thing explodes. When the smoke clears, there's a dead patch of grass in the middle of the field.

He steers me out of the armory by my shoulders. "Exactly my point. You can screw up sitting on a table. Just go… do something productive, okay? Stop by at eight and I'll give you Riptide."

My shoulders slump as Beckendorf kicks me out. Now my only choice is to go bother Annabeth again.

* * *

_**Half Blood Base- rec room**_

_**September 8th**_

_**10:00 AM**_

Annabeth is talking to a frowning Jason when I walk in. "Why do I have to be the decoy?" Annabeth smiles sweetly.

"A, you came back without telling me, and B, even if you did tell me, you actually have no real part in this mission. Therefore, you'll fill in for Percy as decoy, okay? No arguments." Something in Annabeth's smile must be scary because Jason shivers and gulps.

"Okay, boss. Signing out."

Annabeth turns to me as I close the door. She looks amused that I'm back already. "I heard that bomb go off from here. What exactly did you do?"

I hold up my hands defensively. "I just sat on a table. A. Damn. Table. And the thing started ticking! I swear it was rigged or something."

Annabeth looks at me. "No, you're just a natural at screwing stuff up. What're you doing now? Nico isn't around so he can't teach you techniques, and I'm afraid of letting you into the arena without supervision."

"I'm not a kid, you know. I'm sixteen, and totally capable of taking care of myself." Annabeth laughs at loud, wiping tears from the corners of her eyes. I glare at her. "Why are you laughing?"

"Here, I've got a job for you. Go visit Rachel's school and tell her that we're having a meeting at six tonight." She ignores my question and writes down an address on a post-it and puts it in my hand. "Don't get lost now, Seaweed Brain."

I roll my eyes. "You got it, Wise Girl."

* * *

_**Connecticut- Clarion Ladies' Academy**_

_**September 8th**_

_**11:00 AM**_

After I thank the taxi driver, he speeds away back into New York. The fare was pretty high, but Annabeth had handed me a wad of bills like it was nothing. The academy looks pretty prestigious, complete with a fancy gate and fancy water fountains. Fancy stairs led up to the fancy doors, where I stood in a fancy lobby.

I had no idea where to go, so I decided to just wander around until I happened to bump into someone. The foyer had another fountain in it. Two girls with textbooks sitting on a bench looked at me and giggled. They apparently didn't bump into guys that often. I kept going.

I somehow stumble into the cafeteria. No one is there except for a few tables filled with more girls. They look like they are having some kind of debate, with one girl using her hands a lot as she talks.

They have a buffet table filled with some cakes with blue frosting, but I ignore my urge and keep walking. The price is probably ridiculous, anyways. I finally decide to go back to the office and ask where Rachel is.

The woman looks at me with a slightly disgusted look. "Why do you need Ms. Dare?"

I put on an innocent face. "I come from the Boy's Academy down south. I'm sorry about my appearance; I borrowed my brother's clothes as to not stain my uniform. He isn't as gifted as the rest of us are, the poor lad. Anyway, Rachel is my dear cousin. We might even place my two sisters in this school. They're prodigies, you know, but I wanted to see if Rachel could keep an eye on them if they were to ever apply here."

Rachel and I look nothing alike, but the woman looks at me as if I were made of a million dollars. I suppose I might as well be a rich boy for my cover. "Rachel Elizabeth Dare is in the student council room. Allow me to lead you there." She stands up quickly and takes hold of my hand, her pointy nails digging into my skin. I place a mask over my face to mask the pain.

She chatters to me as she walks in ridiculously tall heels. "Your dear cousin is our student council president, you know. She's such a dear; top in the school. We all adore her. Oh! Please forgive me. My name is Helen Ellsworth."

My hand is limp at this point. She finally stops in front of some double doors. Knocking on the doors loudly, she smiles at me. I smile back, slightly disturbed. The door opens and a girl with long brown hair peeks out. She smiles at Helen, not even noticing me. "Hello, Ms. Ellsworth. How may I help you?"

"Tina, my dear, is Ms. Dare busy at the moment? Her cousin needs to see her. Quite urgently, if I may add."

Tina looks into the room. "There are no meetings at the moment, so I suppose it should be okay for you two to come in." The door opens wider and I see a long conference room with office chairs. Some people are sitting, doing work, and someone is going through records on the Smart Board. "Rachel, your cousin is here."

The girl at the screen turns and I do a double take. It's Rachel, but at the same time, not Rachel. She straightened her frizzy hair and placed a black headband over it, making it look elegant. She covered her freckles somehow, and is wearing a uniform that looks slightly more regal than other students. In fact, all the student council members wear her uniform. Lastly, she's wearing rimless glasses. In a few words, she looks a lot more honor-student-y than normal. She laughs a high-pitched laugh, looking me up and down.

Dear cousin! What brings you up to Connecticut? My, how's your mother? It's been such a dreadfully long time." She apparently also has a British accent. I match her confidence and laugh a loud and slightly arrogant laugh.

"Busy as ever! She's designing a wedding dress for the duchess of… Turkey! Yes, she's as busy as ever."

Helen looks pleased. "Why, I didn't know Turkey had a duchess! Anyway, I'll be going now. Don't want to ruin this family reunion, do I?" She walks off, shutting the door behind her. The other student council members resume working. Tina sits down in a seat and opens a yearbook, looking through it critically.

Rachel smirks at me and leans in close. She whispers softly into my ear.

"You know, Perce, if you're going to go undercover, you might as well look the part. You get an F."

* * *

**A/N**

**Done!**

**Psh, duchess of Turkey. XD**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N**

**Just finished some homework. Science, to be exact.**

**POP QUIZ: What is an endoplasmic reticulum?**

* * *

_**Connecticut- Clarion Ladies' Academy**_

_**September 8**__**th**_

_**12:00 PM**_

"And this is my office." Rachel proudly stretches out her arms to show the room. It actually looks normal, with dainty white furniture and a fresh smell in the air. That is, until Rachel presses a button on the side of a photograph. The room goes completely dark, and I hear faint sounds of shifting and wires moving. When the lights go on again, the room looks like something Rachel would do.

It's a modern black and white with random paint splatters here and there. Three out of four walls are mirrors, so the room never seems to end. Rachel collapses on a feathery white couch, the headband on her head falling off. Her hair's starting to curl a little.

"I designed the room, and everyone pitched in to help. At the Base, of course. Clarion has no idea." She rolls on her stomach, giving a contented sigh. I sit down on a black office chair, popping some M&Ms from a glass bowl in my mouth.

"Oh yeah, Annabeth says there's a meeting at six tonight."

Rachel waves her hand lazily. "Yeah, I know."

I'm slightly confused at this point. "What do you mean? I just got here."

She shrugs, giving me a crooked smile. "She texted me." She holds up a sleek black phone as if to show her point. "You know, you're actually pretty retarded." She flips the phone open and shows me the text.

_Occupy Percy for a few hours? He's starting to blow things up. –Annabeth_

I sigh, eating a blue M&M. "Should I be offended?"

Rachel gets up, brushing off her skirt. She walks over to some cabinets and begins looking through one. "Why aren't you in Maine?"

"I suffered from a near-death experience."

Rachel snorts, taking out a hair straightener. "You're totally over-reacting."

"We can't die. I thought this was the time to make jokes about it." Rachel faces a wall and plugs the iron into a power socket.

She takes some hair and puts it between the two bars, slowly streaking down. "Actually, I can die. Technically, I'm still alive." She pauses and checks her handiwork. "I'm the oracle. Special benefits, yeah? I belong in both worlds, like a freaking boss."

I get up and walk to a hamster cage. They squeal and run around in circles, giving me pleading eyes. I stick my finger in an opening, wiggling it at the little rodent things. The black one bites me, screeching angrily. I swear and take my finger out, rubbing it hastily.

Rachel glares at me. "Stop provoking Aceso."

I pour a bottle of water over my finger, watching the drips fall to the floor. Splatters land on the tiles. One looks a little like a duck, or maybe a monkey.

"Isn't that like… a goddess who personifies the healing process or some crap like that?"

Rachel puts down the iron and places the headband back on, walking up to the wire cage. "You know, you're actually pretty smart when you have to be."

I snort. "Isn't that name a little redundant? That rascal looks like it hates my guts."

Rachel shrugs, stroking Aceso. "Well, to be fair, Odyne hates you too. Look, there she is." The white one stares at me with unnerving red eyes in the wooden hut, chewing slowly on a piece of lettuce."

"Look, I don't remember much about my past, but I remember a couple of Mythology classes in my freshman year. Greek goddess of pain. Pleasant."

Rachel steps back and straightens her uniform. "I thought it was cute. Anyway, are you hungry? We could go to the cafeteria and eat."

I shrug, settling back down on the couch. "I can't afford a crumb of cake, much less a whole meal. Unlike you, I barely have any money."

Rachel smiles, pressing the button on the photograph. The room shifts back. When the lights turn back on, Rachel is still smiling, eyeing me like a display. "You're my 'cousin', right?"

"I guess."

"I'm rich, right?"

"Obviously."

"So if _I'm _rich, you're also rich."

"Yeah- wait, what?"

* * *

_**Greenwich, Connecticut- Rachel's home**_

_**September 8**__**th**_

_**1:00 PM**_

"Thanks, Harvey." Rachel waves at her chauffer as he drives away. Rachel's estate is impressive, grander than even the Clarion Girls' Academy. Everything is marble and shiny. A stream laces the grass, sparkling. I see some fish that look like koi swim around in the clear water. A large fence with climbing roses pens in the house. Their yard's probably bigger than the school's entire area, plus more.

Rachel pokes me on the cheek. "Well? Come on. We might have some fresh scones or something in the kitchen. Patsy might've made some smoothies too." She says it nonchalantly, walking up the path. I follow her, taking in the scenery and attempting to mask my growling stomach. Rachel smirks, opening the grand French doors. "Hungry there?"

"You have no idea."

There's the main hall with a winding staircase in the middle, winding around a pillar. Rachel leads me through a door into the state-of-the-art kitchen. A portly woman barely five feet smiles cheerfully at us, mixing something in a bowl. "Ms. Rachel! My, you brought a friend. What's your name, pumpkin?"

Rachel slings her arm around me. "This is my friend Percy. He'll be around for a few hours, okay, Patsy?" Patsy nods, setting down the bowl on the counter. She holds up a plate of steaming scones, handing it to Rachel carefully.

"Enjoy the scones, Ms. Rachel. And chestnut? I recommend the chocolate-chip ones." Patsy waves as we leave, turning to the stove. I smile at her back.

"She's really nice."

Rachel nods, pushing the forks closer to the center. "She's like a mother to me." We pass the huge living room where there's a sleek piano in the corner. Climbing the stairs, Rachel sniffs the crepes, smiling dreamily.

"Don't you have a father?"

Rachel pauses for a millisecond, but I still notice. "He's probably in China or something. Somewhere in Asia. He's a land developer." Her fingers tighten their grip on the plate at _land developer. _She puts on a smile and directs me down the hall to the last door on the left side. I open the door, peeking in.

There are floor to ceiling windows, overlooking the whole estate. I can see a gardener weeding a small plot at the side of the mansion. Rachel sets the plate down on a coffee table and clicks on the TV. Her room's so big she can fit in a little of each part of the house. Her bedroom, the bathroom, living room. There's even a mini bar, but there doesn't seem to be anything alcoholic. There's another door at the back.

"Jeez, Rachel. You could live your entire life in here."

She picks up a fork and spears a crepe, watching some kind of animal documentary on the television. "I could have a kitchen built in here, but nothing's as good as Patsy's cooking." I sit down next to her and bite into the chocolate chip crepe. Patsy's right; it's delicious.

Rachel settles back, closing her eyes while chewing on a crepe. "I wonder where Pico is." I finish the crepe and choose another with an orange glaze. They're as thin as paper, but oddly satisfying.

"Pico?"

"Picasso, my cat."

I lick some glaze off my fork, spearing a small piece. "I'm oddly not surprised that you have a cat named Picasso."

Rachel flicks my forehead. "You were saying, Seaweed Brain?"

I moan in irritation, setting down the fork. "Annabeth called me the same thing."

She grins, licking her lips. "Great minds think alike."

I don't know when it happened, but me and Rachel are suddenly closer. I slide my hand near hers, but touch a furry paw instead. I jump a few feet away, highly disturbed. I relax when I notice that it's just a cat, and not Rachel's real hand. Rachel smiles at the gray cat, stroking it between the ears. "Hey, Pico. Where've you been?" He purrs warmly at her, but hisses coldly at me. His golden eyes scare me.

Rachel's eyes widen. "Oh yeah! We should check up on Annabeth." She picks up the TV remote and enters in a code. The screen darkens until we can see the rec room. We seem to be looking from the pull-down screen Annabeth uses for missions. Everyone's back and relaxing. I see Travis in the corner. He's attempting to put his arm around Katie Gardner's shoulders, but she keeps on moving out of the way. Connor face-palms and flicks him on the forehead. Rachel looks proudly at him and I rub my forehead, remembering the pain.

Annabeth is comparing knives with a stranger. She looks somewhere in her very early twenties, maybe twenty or twenty-one. Her silky dark hair splashes over her silvery jacket, and her black eyes twinkle with either madness or something along those eyes. Nico is standing next to her, chatting with them.

Rachel follows my gaze. "Oh, that's Bianca di Angelo. She's usually with the Hunters, and it's been a while since they were all at the Base."

As I watch, Nico says something to his sister and Bianca winks in response, hugging him like some kind of stuffed animal. She then attempts to plant a kiss on his cheek but Nico jumps out of her arms quickly, shielding himself with Annabeth. Annabeth looks amused, looking at the sibling duo.

Rachel laughs. "Bianca kind of has a brother complex. It's pretty funny to watch."

I smile as I watch the scene. It's kind of weird, because everyone's weird, but considered normal by other people. "Can't they see us?"

Rachel shakes her head. "I put in the one-way code. Anyway, we might want to clean up and call Harvey. I want to take you shopping."

"What?"

Rachel winks, very much like Bianca. "My cousin is expected to have high-class clothing and a couple of hundred-dollar bills in his wallet."

I still don't understand what she means. "What are you talking about?"

Rachel sighs, petting Picasso. "If this is your alias, we have to get you a whole new wardrobe. Let's go shopping, cuz."

* * *

**A/N**

**Done!**

**Haha, a brother complex. I figured that we might as well have one for comedic purposes.**

**Huh, Rachel/Percy moment?**

**Sorry this chapter's a little short. I guess it was sort of a filler.**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N**

**I just went to a restaurant. Did you know that if you start counting from one to one billion right now, one number a second, you still won't make it to one billion? It's guaranteed that you'll die before achieving it.**

**Random trivia in the car. XD**

* * *

_I guess it was pretty convenient that Central Park was right across the street from my apartment. I was probably eight or nine, and even though the memory is a little fuzzy, I still remember the snowy flakes swirling in the air around five in the morning._

_Back at home, I could hear someone yelling at my mom. The guy wasn't my dad. I refused to accept it. I tossed and turned in my bed, but I couldn't sleep. I ended up changing into a puffy coat, gloves, and a blue scarf. Putting some cookies into a bag, I snuck out the door._

_The park was empty, so I wandered around. Everything looks different in the early morning, like a dream or something. I thought I was alone, but there was someone sitting on a bench. I sat next to the person. She turned out to be a girl around my age._

_She was pretty, like mom. Her round eyes stared at nothing, but they seemed to take everything in at the same time. I did the only thing I could think of._

"_Want a cookie?"_

* * *

_**Connecticut- shopping district**_

_**September 8**__**th**_

_**2:25 PM**_

I wake up to Rachel shaking my shoulders. I rub my eyes sleepily. What was that? It was like a distant memory, but I can't remember anything clearly. Actually, I remember one thing: Central Park. I can't even remember my mom, or that girl. I clench my fists together, but Rachel either doesn't notice my tension or chooses to ignore it because she grabs my hand and rather forcefully pulls me out the limo.

I glare at her. "I actually do need my hand, you know. Anyway, don't you have to be at school?" Rachel lets go of my hand and looks through the purse I didn't even know she had. She pulls out her credit card and smiles.

"I'm actually a few months ahead of my school work so I could skip if I wanted, but that wouldn't be too honor-student-y, you know? Anyway, this is more fun. I could buy myself some CDs and art supplies while I'm at it, so it's a two-in-one-deal." We start walking towards a random store.

A few people wave at Rachel, smiling like she's some kind of goddess. Rachel smiles politely. I nudge her gently. "You know these people?"

"They're acquaintances. I'm in a lot of public events and stuff." She pulls open a door into the store. It's a preppy guy's dream, with clothes designed to make you look rich.

I pick up some cologne from a nearby display and take a whiff, trying not to gag at the strong smell. "Smart and rich? That's not fair."

Rachel takes the cologne from me and puts it back, pulling me to the escalator. "Life isn't fair." I don't know why, but the blunt statement stings, like an old wound opening again. Rachel sees my expression and quickly apologizes. "I'm sorry, Perce. I didn't mean it, it just kind of slipped out."

She laughs kind of nervously and takes a step on the escalator. I follow her, my face a little tight. On the second floor there are racks of dress shirts and ties. I've never understood how those work, but then again, I never had a reason to put on a tie.

Rachel zips around like a bee, pulling out various shirts and pants from around the floor. She hands a mountain of clothes to me, not even bothering to look at the price tags. One shirt is easily a hundred dollars, but Rachel doesn't seem to care. "These should be your size. Let's go to the dressing rooms."

"Both of us?"

The bomb explodes. "Duh. I'm going in with you to make sure you don't do anything funny."

The irony hurts.

* * *

_**Half Blood Base- rec room**_

_**September 8**__**th**_

_**4:00 PM**_

Annabeth does a double take when she sees me, and I understand why. I look like my sweat would sell for a hundred dollars. Sleeked back black hair, green eyes hidden behind rimless glasses like Rachel's, preppy clothes, shiny shoes. I think I would look handsome to a majority of girls.

Having Rachel practically forcing the clothes on me in the dressing room was definitely not worth it.

Someone- Leo, I think- wolf-whistles. Rachel looks beyond proud. Annabeth just looks like she just saw a disturbing movie. Nico gives me an off look, dangling his leg off an arm rest on the couch. "What the hell happened to you?"

Bianca, who's next to him, laughs. She's throwing a silver knife into the air, flipping it effortlessly. "I think he's cute. Percy, right? Nico, let's go shopping sometime." Her face turns gleeful. "I'll put them on for you!" She pinches his cheek. Nico carefully moves away, rubbing the red mark.

I grimace. "Like Rachel." Rachel gives me a thumbs-up.

I try for a pompous laugh. "Jackson. Perseus Jackson. Pleased to meet you." Annabeth clears her throat awkwardly as the room becomes silent.

"Nice clothes." Her voice cracks. I think she's blushing a little, but then she starts laughing so hard that tears come up, and I mentally slap myself on the face for even thinking about it. Everyone stares at her as Annabeth continues laughing.

I hear someone mutter quietly. "I think she just cracked."

"You think it's the stress?"

"Definitely."

She finally stops and drinks some water from a water bottle. She's still smiling, but her eyes are a little more serious now. She takes a seat behind the desk, resting her chin on her hands. She places her special headset on her blond hair.

"Just a reminder; there's a meeting at six tonight. You have about two hours of free time. Dismissed." Everyone starts leaving in clusters, laughing and joking around. Annabeth stops me though, putting her hand on my shoulder. "Percy, Rachel, Jason. Come here for a minute."

Jason, the guy I saw from the screen during the mission apologizes to Piper and Leo and comes to us. Rachel leans against the desk, tapping her manicured fingers against the ebony wood. Annabeth points to a map of the base that's on the wall. Putting her hand on the South Woods area, she looks at us.

"I've heard from some halfbloods that they've heard strange sounds from the south part of the woods. Mind checking it out?" Jason nods obediently, but Rachel frowns.

"Why don't you go for yourself to see?"

Annabeth nods her head toward the desk that's piled with piles of papers with numbers. "Unlike you people, I have to pay bills."

Jason breaks out of his serious nature and smiles. "You sound like an old woman, Annabeth. It's good to relax sometimes."

Rachel nods in agreement. "We should take a trip to Japan. My dad has a friend who owns these awesome hot springs. Plain amazing."

Annabeth smiles a little. "Maybe during summer when it's less chaotic. The trouble starts around these months, you know. Get going now." She waves as we leave. I feel bad for her. I can't understand numbers for my life.

* * *

_**Half Blood Base- South Woods**_

_**September 8**__**th**_

_**4:10 PM**_

"I ended up here on my first day. Everything was bloody." The trees look normal and green, so unlike the scene I saw that time. Jason holds out his golden sword in front of him, carefully stepping over the dark undergrowth. Rachel wields a throwing knife, twirling it with her fingers nimbly. I think it's all the painting she does.

Rachel must have heard something because she tenses and faces a tree. Jason pauses and looks at her. Riptide is still with Beckendorf, so I finger my gun. Rachel finally shrugs and tosses her knife into the tree. Someone falls out, holding his bloody arm. It turns out to be Connor. He rolls in the dirt, clutching his arm in pain.

Rachel shrugs sympathetically. "Heh, sorry about that. You might want to head to the infirmary. That wound's bleeding pretty badly." Connor gets up unsteadily, leaning on Jason heavily. Jason sighs, looking at Rachel.

"Didn't I tell you the other day to not jump to conclusions?"

"I had exams that day! I probably wasn't paying attention." Rachel huffs, bending down to retrieve her knife. I relax my grip on my gun. Jason gives Connor a look and takes some bandages from his bag. He wraps the injury with the thick cloth, guiding Connor out of the woods. He nods at us respectfully.

"I'll catch up with you guys, so go on ahead."

I give Rachel a look and distance myself from her.

"So, does this happen a lot?"

Rachel shrugs. "It's a habit of mine. So… don't hide in trees, or I might accidentally kill you."

* * *

**A/N**

**Done!**

**I heard this funny haiku on YouTube.**

"**Haikus are easy,**

**But sometimes they don't make sense.**

**Refrigerator."**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N**

**Hey, folks!**

**This chapter goes out to PeaceLoveAndCheese, who has faithfully reviewed each and every chapter of my crappy story without fail. (By the way, the last line of your haiku only had four syllables XD)**

**I will make an effort to make this chapter longer, because the last two chapters have been short.**

**Anyway, to all you anime lovers out there, watch the two seasons of Baka to Test. You'll split your sides from laughing so much. There's actually a fourth word to the title, but those three will most definitely show up n the search.**

**Anyway, let's go!**

* * *

_**Half Blood Base- South Woods**_

_**September 8**__**th**_

_**4:20 PM**_

"Quit complaining and shut up!" Rachel hisses from behind a tree. I sigh and settle down behind a bush. Why we're hiding, I have no idea. We're apparently listening to one of Rachel's 'hunches', which are usually right, but I dare you to sit still for at least half an hour with an empty stomach. Jason is still not back, but I hope he doesn't surprise Rachel, who will most definitely stab his crotch with either a stick or her knife. I can't really say which is more painful.

"So… how's life?"

Rachel gives me a look, kind of like the looks Annabeth occasionally gives me. "Shut up."

I refuse to give up so easily. "I've been here about three days, and I still have no clue what to do."

Rachel softens up a little, carving a picture into the dirt with the point of her knife. "It takes a while, but you'll get used to it soon enough." She stabs the knife into the ground hard. "Annabeth's been here since she was seven. Can you believe someone died that young?"

I gawk a little. "You're not serious, are you?"

Rachel takes out the knife and gives a few more slices at the picture, almost like delicate strokes. I see the verge of a face forming, even if Rachel seems to be doodling.

"Why would I joke? Anyway, she was the most timid thing back then. She's afraid of spiders, even now."

I tilt my face into the sun, closing my eyes. I haven't heard any noise since entering, but maybe I should sharpen my senses a little more. "What happened?"

Rachel's face darkens. The slices turn a little irregular. "That's for me to know, and you to find out." Suddenly she freezes, her head turning toward the stream. "Quiet."

I can hear some animal wading through the water. A big, black dog is growling at another dog who seems smaller and more feminine. His growls send shivers up my spine. I make a move to save the smaller dog, but in a split second Rachel appears next to me, pulling me back. I glare at her. "What's the big idea?"

She shakes her head slightly. "This is life. Let's not mess with it." As she speaks, the bigger dog pounces on the other animal. They toss and turn into the stream, their fur getting darker with water. I hear a whimper, then silence. Rachel shakes with anger, pulling out her knives. "Oh, now it's personal. Let's kill that bastard before it kills anything else."

The smaller dog is lying in the water, not moving. Its eyes are open lifelessly, distant with death. A large gash is in its neck, turning the water red. Rachel prepares to attack when we hear a loud gunshot. The beast growls before another bullet takes its life. Jason drops soundlessly out of a tree, his gun still smoking. I choke back a sob and approach the small dog. She looks peaceful in her eternal sleep. I slowly drag her out of the water. Rachel glares hatefully at the bigger beast as she delivers a swift kick at it.

Jason holds her back. "Rachel, it's not worth it." She slams her knife into the bark of a tree. I look over the dog. She doesn't look that old. Maybe a young adult, barely matured. Jason stands back as he surveys the scene. "I suppose that was the threat Annabeth was talking about."

Something small in the corner of my eye moves. I instinctively walk towards it, gently kneeling on the ground and brushing aside the foliage. A small puppy whimpers at the sight of me, cowering into the grass. Rachel's eyes grow huge as she looks at it.

"That was her mom, eh? Wait, Percy, don't-"

Too late. I cup the small bundle of black fur in my hands. The small thing sighs and nestles its head closer, instantly calming down. Jason puts away his gun, smiling slightly. "We should show the boss the puppy."

As we start walking, I take a closer look at the puppy. Frail yet strong. She kind of reminds me of someone, perhaps from my previous life.

* * *

_**Half Blood Base- rec room**_

_**September 8th**_

_**5:50 PM**_

Annabeth fiddles with her headset, looking over the puppy in my hands. The rec room is empty except for her. All the bills look squared away in a neat pile in the corner of her desk. Finally she gives a tired smile.

"I guess we have no choice but to keep it. Maybe she'll be a good guard or war hound. I suppose Percy should name her, seeing that he saw her first."

I barely think as the name flies through my lips. "Mrs. O' Leary."

Rachel and Jason give me a look, but Annabeth doesn't bat an eye. She smiles down at the furry thing, stroking her with a finger. Mrs. O' Leary squirms at her touch, giving a contented sigh. Annabeth's expression turns serious. "You better take good care of her, Percy."

I nod my head. "Of course."

We sit down and let Mrs. O Leary wiggle around on the carpet. Jason dismisses himself a little later, and Rachel curses ten minutes later, remembering school. Then she sighs. "Meh, whatever. Too late now. Anyway, I'm going back to my cave. I have some movies to watch." Her eyes glitter. "I got five movies for free." Annabeth gives her a stern look.

"Rachel, no matter how good you are at shoplifting, why bother when you have money?"

Rachel winks from the doorframe. "It's more fun, of course." The door clicks shut. We see Rachel outside the window a few minutes later. She shouts through it. "Meeting in ten minutes, right?"

Annabeth nods. Rachel spins on her heel, walking down the stairs. 'I'll bring snacks. Ever heard of fries with ice cream?" Annabeth looks slightly worried. I must look confused, because Annabeth laughs.

"She brings the oddest snacks. The last time she supplied the food, she made Cheese Whiz and jelly bean sandwiches."

I grimace. "How was it?"

Annabeth pauses, bending down to scratch Mrs. O' Leary. "It was surprisingly decent."

People start coming. Juniper squeals when she sees Mrs. O' Leary. "She's so cute!" She keeps on fawning over her until Grover arrives. Collapsing heavily on the couch, he gives her a smirk. I groan; another fight in the making.

"Drooling isn't very feminine, you know."

Juniper immediately sets Mrs. O' Leary down and whips out her knife, hurling it at Grover. A normal person would've been pierced in the forehead, but Grover ducks, smiling devilishly. "That all you got, twig?"

"Why, you..!" Juniper growls, but Annabeth catches her wrist. Glaring at the two of them, she forces them to sit down.

"Another argument from each other today, and I'll send you on a mission together." Annabeth warns, releasing her grip on Juniper. She walks to the front of the room, sitting on the edge of the desk. She places the headset on her head. The room hushes down as the screen rolls down silently. Rachel appears as the room darkens. She's holding a plate of french fries and icecream. The people who're trying the crazy snack actually seem to like it.

I try one before Annabeth begins. It's actually pretty good, salty and sweet at the same time. Annabeth begins just as I sit down.

She gives us all a steady look. "When was the last time we had a television appearance?" Clarisse counts on her fingers, scrunching up her face. Finally she looks up.

"About two and a half years ago."

Annabeth snaps her fingers. "Precisely. Now, we need access to a studio or station to control what goes on TV, correct?" Half of the room nods solemnly while the other half fiddles their fingers. Finally Katie of the twiddling finger section clears her throat.

"Well, we either need to break in or make an overnight sensation."

The screen starts up a list of popular things on TV, like reality TV shows or comedy. Annabeth points near the top. "What's the most popular event of this year?"

My mouth suddenly goes dry. "Swimming."

Annabeth smirks. "Don't think I didn't see you at the lake, Seaweed Brain." She presses the link to the swimming which pulls up information. "All in favor of making Percy Jackson famous for a few months or so?" People start grinning, looking partially relieved. Almost everyone raises their hand, except for Grover. He looks worried.

His voice cracks as he looks almost fearfully at Annabeth. "But, the last time…"

Annabeth's voice is sharp. "Percy will be fine. Our operation that time was a lot riskier. Anyway, she didn't die. That's what's important, isn't it?" She softens. "Trust me, okay?"

Grover finally holds up his hand, trembling slightly. There's a pause as Annabeth looks at everyone. Then she grins. "Everyone's in!"

"Operation start!"

* * *

_**Half Blood Base- Big House floor 2 (bathroom)**_

_**September 8**__**th**_

_**7:00 PM**_

"Are you sure you know how to do this?"

Piper nods confidently, getting all the supplies together. Grover sits on a stool in the corner, giving her a strange look. "Should I ask how you now?"

Piper forces a smile. "My dad used to be in actor, you know? Actually, he still is. Anyway, back when I was… _alive, _I used to be the one who applied the hair dyes and wigs and stuff." Her voice cracks a little before turning to me. She puts some Vaseline on my ears, hairline, and part of my neck.

I give her a look. "Why?"

Piper starts mixing the dye in a container. "You don't want your ears stained brown, do you?" I get the message and keep my mouth shut. Piper starts applying the dye in my hair in swift strokes. Grover sets the timer for the amount said on the box.

"This dye will probably stay on for at least half a year." Piper says as she wipes off some dye from my neck. I stiffly nod. When the timer goes off, Piper turns on the sink faucet. I lean into it so Piper can rinse it easily. She leaves in some conditioner before rinsing it out again.

She blow-dries my hair. I see a few strands fly in my face. Brown. Grover puts blue contacts in my eyes. Holding up a small mirror, I almost choke. Brown hair and blue eyes.

Who the hell is this person?

Piper looks pleased. "From now on, you are Derek James, star swimmer of the country."

I don't know if I can pull this off.

* * *

_**Half Blood Base- armory**_

_**September 8**__**th**_

_**8:00 PM**_

"Who the fuck are you?" Beckendorf's eyes bulge out, like he can't believe it. I slap his arm, kind of pissed off. Just getting here from the Bug House was bad enough. People kept on stopping me, asking if I was really Percy. I don't look that different, do I?

"I'm Derek James, supreme ruler of the universe." I twist Piper's description a little. Beckendorf chuckles and hands me a pen. I look at him. "Where's my sword?"

"Uncap it."

The pen is sticking up right at my face. I start pulling the cap off. Beckendorf's eyes widen.

"Wait, Percy-"

The last thing I remember is a pain in my face that hurts worse than hell. Beckendorf stands over me, disbelief all over his face. He starts muttering to himself, bending down to pick me up.

"I can't believe the retard managed to stab himself."

* * *

**A/N**

**Done!**

**About making the chapter longer, I failed. I could've kept on going, but I just thought that was a wonderful ending.**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N**

**Hi!**

**I'm sooooooo happy right now, for personal reasons. WOO-HOO! :D**

**Anyway, in the last chapter, Percy became Derek Whatshisface for an operation. I could tell his time as a professional at the beginning, but that would be boring, no?**

**Six month time skip~**

* * *

_**Paris, France- 5-star hotel**_

_**March 11**__**th**_

_**12:00 PM**_

"Nice work, Perce. First place again!"

Annabeth takes off her silver fake glasses and places them on the coffee table. Mrs. O' Leary stretches across the plush rug, chewing on a bone. She's gotten unbelievably big in the last few months. It was a hassle trying to find a hotel that allowed dogs, but when you're famous, you have a lot more benefits.

I look in the mirror at my reflection. My hair's still brown, but it's starting to fade a tiny bit. I pop out the contacts, blinking a few times. "I owe it all to my manager, don't I?" Annabeth smiles as I collapse on the bed. "Anyway, how're the television hackings going?"

Annabeth sips some lemonade as she looks through her organizer. "The plan is to make the mortals rethink about the Titans. You pray to them, but everyone's heard about those terrible stories. Why honor them, then? Wouldn't the gods be so much better?"

I roll my eyes, rubbing Mrs. O' Leary between the ears. She wags her tail happily, giving me a lopsided smile. "You've said that about a million times already. I bet I can recite it in my sleep."

She just sticks her tongue out at me and picks some clothes out from her suitcase. We travel just about every week or two, so we don't bother unpacking. She winks as she ducks into the bathroom. "Celebrate at Montoya's?"

Mrs. O' Leary barks. She can somehow sense when we're talking about anything related to food. Annabeth says she gets it from me. I always give a retort, which usually ends in her flicking me and calling me a Seaweed Brain.

It's part of our daily schedule.

I open my suitcase, taking out a pair of thick black glasses. Slapping on a hat and wearing regular clothing, I can pretty much look like a normal person and not get mobbed by fans of Derek James. Annabeth actually looks like a twenty-something year old with makeup and high heels, so that's seriously convenient.

She comes out as I put the leash on Mrs. O' Leary. Annabeth has a face scrubbed free of makeup and dark jeans and a gray blouse, but I think she looks even better like that. Not that I think she's cute or anything.

She must sense me staring at her because she smiles and twirls. I gape as she laughs, opening the hotel door.

"Let's go, Seaweed Brain."

* * *

_**Montoya's (outside)**_

_**March 11**__**th**_

_**12:30 PM**_

I breathe in the smells coming from the café as I lean back on the chair. For some reason, everything in Paris smells like vanilla or something, but it must be all the sweets and desserts sitting around. Annabeth waits in line inside, checking her cell phone casually. In reality, she's probably viewing the updates at the base in New York.

In the last two weeks, the Stolls have ransacked all the stores in New Jersey and half of Maryland. It's a sure-fire way to bring the Titans out into the open, but I don't think that's enough.

Mrs. O' Leary sits patiently, wagging her tail methodically like a pendulum. A little toddler waddles by, staring in delight at the dog. Mrs. O' Leary gives a gentle lick, earning a delighted squeal from the tyke. The mother comes by sometime later, apologizing to me as she picks up the little girl. She waves at us. At Mrs. O' Leary in particular.

"Bye-bye, puppy!"

The scene causes some tables to look at us. Two girls look at me from behind their menus as they giggle and whisper. I smile in their direction, simply because there's nothing else to do. They widen their eyes dramatically, blushing. The black-haired girl elbows her friend. Brunette stands up, making her way towards me.

Just then, Annabeth comes with a tray, sitting down beside me. Brunette dejectedly walks back to her table as Raven Head sympathizes. Annabeth follows my gaze, rolling her eyes.

"You shouldn't play around with them like that."

I grin. "Don't talk like you don't do the same to other guys."

Annabeth just smirks and reaches for a lemon square, sticking a fork into the center. I take a bite from a croissant, throwing Mrs. O' Leary the other one. The butter melts on my tongue.

Here I am in Paris, eating sweets with a pretty girl at a café in early spring. I was living pretty much every guy's dream, but at the time, I didn't know how screwed up my life would get then.

* * *

_**Paris, France- streets**_

_**March 23**__**rd**_

_**10:00 PM**_

"You know, I think we have enough TV appearances to drop the act." Annabeth flicks a dime into the water, watching it splash and land on the bottom. I pause midway patting Mrs. O' Leary. No more Derek James? Alright, I kind of liked all the adoring fans, but the competitions were even better.

In all the competitions I swam in, I've been number one. Newspapers labeled me as 'superhuman'. No one really lets someone with that much fame drop off the face of the planet. I raise an eyebrow at her. "How do you plan on achieving that?"

Annabeth nonchalantly pats Mrs. O' Leary on the snout. "I was thinking a car crash, or some kind of heart failure. Actually, make it a heart failure. We don't want to be in court or anything."

Dropping this act will be harder than I thought. But I guess Annabeth has good timing. A couple of more weeks, and the dye will be all gone. My coffee is now cold, but I take a sip anyway. Geez, coffee is good even when it's cold.

Mrs. O' Leary looks alert for some reason, sniffing the ground and looking off down the street. She pulls against the leash, straining to be let go. Annabeth doesn't say anything as she unclips the leash from the collar.

"Mrs. O' Leary, wait!" I shout as the huge dog bolts. She isn't one to bark often, but when she does, people tend to hear. And when people look, they tend to turn us into the police for disruption.

Annabeth has her hand on her boot where her knife is hidden. I take out the gun hidden in my jacket. Riptide is in my other pocket. We brace ourselves as Mrs. O' Leary disappears. A lifetime passes when we finally hear… footsteps?

The cry of a little boy.

A little blond boy runs toward us, pure terror on his face. We can hear Mrs. O' Leary in the distance, growling, possibly attacking. Annabeth pockets her knife and holds out her hands as the boy collapses in them, sniffling and crying out.

I leave them as I run toward the monster/ human/ enemy. Streetlights flicker and I vaguely remember tripping a couple of times. Finally I see my dog's tail. Mrs. O' Leary's fighting what seems to be an enemy swordsman, but I can't really tell, with the mask and all.

The man is clearly inexperienced, getting disarmed by Mrs. O' Leary in a matter of seconds. Finally he scrambles away as Mrs. O' Leary fetches the sword and places it at my feet. Patting her on the head, I take the sword back with me.

The boy's calmed down a little, still sniffling as Annabeth strokes his hair gently. I take a seat next to her as Mrs. O' Leary sits down a short distance away. Finally Annabeth lifts his chin up. He looks a little like her with the same blond hair and similar eyes. They could even be siblings or something.

"What's your name?"

The boy is quiet for a moment. When he finally speaks, his voice is hardly above a whisper. "My name is M-Malcolm."

Annabeth smiles down at him. "Where're your parents, Malcolm?'

He looks scared, genuinely confused. "I don't know."

Annabeth looks at me, gripping Malcolm's hand. "He's a Halfblood. You can see, right?" I nod as Annabeth continues. "We're taking him with us."

* * *

_**Half Blood Base- entrance**_

_**March 24**__**th**_

_**8:00 AM**_

"Even though it's fairly early, I can see a couple of people roaming around. Juniper spots us first. She comes running, footsteps so light you can barely hear them. I let Mrs. O' Leary free. She goes straight for the mess hall, apparently smelling the bacon even from this distance. Juniper greets us before bendingdown to little Malcolm's level.

"Hello, little one. You're Malcolm, right?" Juniper speaks kindly. Malcolm cowers behind Annabeth before managing a small smile and nod. Juniper winks. "Let's have fun together sometime, okay?" She gives a wiggle of her fingers like 'toodle-doo!' before skipping down the hill, waving at Malcolm one last time.

Annabeth smiles at the scenery. "It's been forever. Nothing's changed, eh?'

I nod, looking around for familiar faces. There seem to be some new halfbloods, but I think I can see Silena coming out of the forge, holding something glittery in her hands. I'm about to say hi when Annabeth stops me. "Hold on, Seaweed Brain. Shouldn't we show Malcolm around?"

"Can't he show himself around like everyone else?"

I don't mean to sound inconsiderate, but it comes out that way. Annabeth grips my arm tightly, pulling us to the first destination. I swear the blood circulation has stopped in my right hand.

Malcolm seems to like the arts and crafts area the most. I still don't understand why we have one, but I guess even dead people need some sort of activity to do in their free time. The last place Annabeth points out are the woods. Malcolm looks at them in awe, standing on his toes to see farther.

"Never go in unless someone takes you, okay?" Annabeth says seriously. Malcolm seems to have come out of his shell, because he smiles cheerfully, showing a gap in his teeth.

"Okay, Anniebeth!"

She looks like she's melting inside as she gives him a piggy-back ride back to the Big House. I trail behind slowly. Annabeth seems really found of him. I don't think I've ever seen her this happy before.

"Yo, Perce!" Grover tackles me on the back, sending me tumbling to the ground. I stand up and wince as Grover gives me a thumbs-up. "How was life the last couple of months?"

I grin. "Hot tub use 24/7."

Something pops up in his mind. "Hey…"

"What?"

"You and Annabeth were together, right?"

"Yeah."

"You guys… shared a room?"

I kick his ass before he can say anything else. I'm pretty sure my face is beet-red. Grover groans in pain. "What the hell...? It was an innocent question!"

* * *

_**Half Blood Base- rec room**_

_**March 24**__**th**_

_**9:00 AM**_

"Operation complete after many months!"

Annabeth declares as she puts on her beloved headset. Malcolm sits cross-legged on the carpet, Mrs. O' Leary's head resting on his lap. Everyone cheers as Annabeth points at Will. "Get started on Derek's death, please. We've decided on a heart attack."

Will nods like that's something he hears every day. He leaves, closing the door behind us. Annabeth clears her throat, scanning the room.

"I now declare we have a break. No one is to go on any missions until the thirty-first. Am I clear?"

The whole room shifts uncomfortably. Travis stands up in shock. "The hell? What're we supposed to do until then?" Connor nods, tightlipped.

Annabeth gives a cool glance. "Do whatever you want. If I over-work you, what good would that come to? I hear of any incidents of the Halfbloods from now until the end of the month, or one of you lands in jail for whatever reason, I'll show you pure hell, got it?"

There's silence until Silena cheers, jumping up from her spot. Everyone breaks out in chatter. A lot of people look happy, but Connor face-palms. "So we can't end up in jail? Man, that eliminates, like, 90% of our plans!"

Malcolm looks up innocently at them. "You can go fishing!"

Travis messes up Malcolm's hair affectionately. "Kid, you'd be surprised where fishing can take you."

Malcolm looks confused before showing a toothy grin. "Okay, misters, you can buy me some ice cream!"

Connor grins. "I like you already." Facing, Travis, they high-five. "You thinking what I'm thinking?"

Annabeth looks at them disapprovingly. "Do whatever you want, but watch Malcolm or I'll maim you. Got it?" They nod, each grabbing one of Malcolm's hands and skipping out the door. Mrs. O' Leary looks confused, cocking her head at their backs. Annabeth sighs. "You should go with them." Mrs. O' Leary thumps her tail as she follows.

Pretty soon the only people left are Grover and Juniper. They're throwing insults at each other. Juniper's practically foaming at the mouth, glaring daggers at Grover. Grover just looks like he's having plain fun. Juniper throws her hands up in frustration.

"You're a bastard, you know?"

"I can say the same to you, bitch."

"Idiot!"

"Takes one to know one." Grover replies in a sing-song voice. Annabeth takes something from her desk. Walking toward the two, she clicks her tongue, shaking her head sadly.

Quicker than a flash, she clicks a pair of handcuffs on them. Juniper wails as she tries to pull away, glancing at Grover in disgust. "Annabeth! Aren't we friends?"

I laugh at Grover, whose facial expression is sour enough to ruin chocolate. He explodes. "Yeah, boss! Isn't this going too far?"

Annabeth pushes both of them out the door. "You guys annoy me. Come back later when I'm in a better mood."

They walk away, still arguing. I look at Annabeth. "Can't they just pick the lock?"

She laughs, taking off her headset. "I don't think they've thought of it yet." She looks at me as she puts the headset in the desk drawer and locks it. "Let's watch a movie or something."

I nod in agreement. Then I pause. When did we get so close? It's not a bad deal, though. Annabeth's just about perfect- wait. What am I thinking?

She takes some money out of her pocket. "This should be enough for a taxi."

We're driving toward the city about fifteen minutes later. I settle back into the plush seat. The background makes me sleepy, so I let my eyes close.

And I dream.

* * *

_The girl looks at me with blank eyes. They're huge, framed with thick lashes. She looks like a doll, all innocent and small. I hand her the cookie silently. She holds it in her mitten, letting snow fall on it like crystal decorations._

_I take out another cookie and bite into it. It's warm, even in the cold. Just like Mom._

_The girl finally takes a small bite. I look at her expectedly. She looks across the park, not meeting my eyes. I poke her. When she looks at me, I give a boyish grin. "Is it good? My mom made them!"_

_After what seems like eternity, she smiles back. She only curves her lips a little, but it reaches her eyes. She nods, her hair tumbling forward._

"_Thank you."_

* * *

**A/N**

**Done!**

**For those of you who're confused at the last part, it's Percy's dream about the past.**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N**

**Too many school projects! D;**

**I might die. T_T**

* * *

_We sit on the bench for a while. The sun starts to rise, looking a little gray in the darkness. The frozen pond shines, and I have the sudden urge to slip and slide across it. The girl is done with her cookie. She doesn't move, her hair covered with flecks of snow._

_I move to brush it off, my glove pausing awkwardly. When she doesn't respond, I get the snow off. I finally get tired of the silence. I poke her. She looks at me, her huge eyes open. Her cheeks are red from the cold._

_I shove my own hands into my pockets. "What's your name?"_

_She starts to open her mouth, answering. Then everything goes mute and I don't hear anything, even though her mouth is moving._

* * *

_**New York City- movie theater (outside)**_

_**March 24**__**th**_

_**9:30 AM**_

"Seaweed Brain, wake up!"

Annabeth shakes my shoulders a little, glancing outside. "We'll be there in about eleven seconds." I rub my eyes, yawning. The ride is bumpy as we near our destination. Annabeth unbuckles her seatbelt as the car stops.

Before she can move, I pay the driver and get out, stretching a little more. Annabeth looks surprised, so I just smile and shrug. We enter the movie theater. It's cool outside, the exact opposite of the heat wave out there. I'm not sure why it's so hot in spring, but it gets annoying.

She looks at the rows of movies. "Which one do you want to watch?"

I shrug again. "I don't care. You pick."

She presses me a little more. "Comedy? Action?"

I shrug just to annoy her. "What do you want to watch?"

She sighs in frustration and moves her hand up to flick me. I stop her midway, grabbing it. Her eyes widen as I point at the one near the top. I grin. "We get a discount on this movie." Annabeth raises her eyebrows.

"It's for couples only."

I tug her toward the ticket stand, digging out my wallet. "So? We'll be a couple then."

Annabeth starts to smile. "Well-played. I'm actually kind of proud of you. I'm buying snacks. Anything in particular?"

I shake my head. "Anything blue is fine." She laughs as she walks toward the line. At the stand, the ticket person looks a little familiar. I must have stared at him for a little too long because he waves a hand in front of my face.

I jump a little, rubbing the back of my neck nervously. "Eh heh, sorry."

He smiles a little. "S'okay."

He looks younger than me, but he has a deep voice. Where have I seen him before? I shake my head. He must think I'm crazy, because he looks at me with concern. "Sir, are you okay?"

I force a smile. "Yeah, I'm fine. It must be the heat. Anyway, two tickets for 'Till the end of the World."

He starts handing me the tickets, but suddenly he pauses. "You get a discount if you're with your girlfriend. Is she here right now?" I start to nod when he cuts me off.

"Of course, it's also fine if your boyfriend is here. Are you gay?"He asks loudly. A few people look over curiously. I see Annabeth hiding a laugh.

My face must be pure red right now. I stutter a little. "No, my girlfriend is over there."

Right on cue, Annabeth walks over, juggling a tray of popcorn, soda, and boxes of candy. He doesn't seem to believe me. "Sir, are you sure you're not just making this up?"

I nod. "I'm pretty sure that she's my girlfriend."

Annabeth looks at me with utter distaste. I'm a little confused now. "Me, date him? I'm sorry, but I don't know you."

The ticket guy grins triumphantly. "See? Now, pay the full price or find your boyfriend. You have the looks of a gay man. Er, no offense."

Annabeth nods seriously. "Yes, you do seem to have a certain air about you."

Before I can degrade myself any more, Annabeth does something unexpected. She gives me a little kiss on the cheek. "Just kidding. Go buy the tickets. I forgot to get butter for the popcorn." She walks away as I stand a little dumbstruck.

The ticket guy laughs again. "I knew you were with her. I was joking."

I laugh a little as I pay him. He slides the tickets through the slot. "But you're just friends, right? You got your little kiss today because of me. Oh, no worries. I'll still give you the discount." I feel my cheeks heat up a little again. Damn, this guy wasn't just pulling my strings, he was totally tangling them.

I thank him and start walking toward Annabeth. I'm half-way to her when he calls to me again.

"Oh, by the way, I'm Tyson!"

I freeze. Tyson, Tyson, Tyson… do I know him from somewhere?

Annabeth presses her hand across my forehead as I approach her. She looks a little worried. "Percy, are you sick or something?"

I choke a little. "I know him from somewhere. Tyson… Tyson?"

Annabeth rearranges the food, shifting uncomfortably. I take some food from her, being careful not to spill anything. "Well, if he's from your past life… he probably doesn't remember you."

"Wait, what?"

Annabeth looks at me patiently. "If you end up in the Battlefront, it's like you never lived in the first place. Oh, all the critical things you did for them will be the same, but they won't remember. It would be like you never existed."

I tremble a little. Annabeth shifts on her feet. "You know… we can just forget all of this and go home. This is all my fault, isn't it?"

I quickly shake my head. "Nah, I'll get over this. Let's just go in."

* * *

_**New York City- movie theater (inside)**_

_**March 24**__**th**_

_**11:00 AM**_

The movie is a tearjerker, but I don't really pay attention. Who was Tyson? He looked like a good friend to have, funny and open. Did I really lose him? And if he forgot me, that means my parents probably forgot me too.

I'm so deep in thought that I don't notice that the movie is over. Almost everyone is crying, wiping tears away with napkins. Annabeth's eyes are still dry though, and she doesn't look affected by the movie.

In the few parts I saw, the main characters are torn from eachother. At the end, they end up dying in each others' arms.

Annabeth looks at me. "Was it sad?"

I shrug. "I didn't really watch that much. What about you?"

Annabeth picks up the trash, putting it into the trash can. "The story line was a little cliché. I guess it could've been sad, but I don't really cry."

"You don't?"

She smiles, but it looks a little fake. "After everything that's happened, nothing can make me cry now."

I don't press her further. We exit and hail a taxi. Riding away from the city, I nap a little more. Anything to make me forget Tyson, even for a little while.

* * *

_It's spring now. Maybe April or May, I'm not sure. Gabe is being a jerk again, so I'm out of the house. Bringing along my bat and baseball, I go to Central Park._

_There's no on around to play with. Actually, hold on. A boy's under the tree, bawling his eyes out. I walk up to him, throwing the baseball up and down._

"_Wanna play?"_

_He sniffles, looking up. He's maybe eight or nine, a few years younger than me. When he doesn't respond, I sit next to him._

"_Hey, don't cry. My mom says that crying annoys the elves that live in that tree." I point at the tree he's sitting under. "They might throw acorns or something, so you'd better stop."_

_My mom told me that when I was six, but the boy seems to believe it. He stops crying and giggles a little. I hand him the baseball, jogging back a few yards._

"_Let's play!"_

* * *

_**Half Blood Base- South Woods**_

_**March 24**__**th**_

_**12:00 PM**_

The woods are a battlefield again, just like when I first arrived. I spin Riptide a little in my fingers. Some enemies lay dead on the grass. We're not really sure if they come back alive or not, but they're always gone within a day.

I rub my forehead in frustration. The memories are slowly coming back. I met Tyson when I was maybe twelve or thirteen, and I usually dream of that girl from the winter day. It's starting to be a little too much for me. Plus, two dreams in one day? One dream is usually enough for me to want to kill myself.

One thing's for certain, though. The dream with Tyson was a lot clearer than the girl's.

Grover comes from the clearing, throwing a knife over my head. It nails a zombie-like thing in the chest. As the monster falls to the ground, Grover looks at me. "Pay more attention! I thought you were a goner for a second."

I mumble a thank-you as Grover continues pacing. He isn't chained to Juniper anymore, but I see some scratches on his cheek, most likely from Juniper herself. "You're usually more careful than this."

I grimace, resting Riptide on the ground. "The memories kind of hurt."

Grover hesitates, looking around. When he sees that no one's around, he steps a little closer, lowering his voice. "You know… there was a guy who used to be a half blood here. His name's Clovis."

He pauses before continuing. "He can recover memories."

I tighten my grip on Riptide. "What do you mean?"

Grover sighs impatiently. "You know that we're the descendants of the gods, right?" When I shake my head no, he goes on as if I had said yes. "Well, he was related to Hypnos, the god of, well… sleeping, I guess. Or dreaming, if you'd like to look at it that way."

Before he can say anything else, a monster comes flying out. It looks like a cross between a chicken and a wrinkly lunch lady. Furthermore, it didn't really fly, it kind of just dropped from the sky. I make an easy slash at it. After a few moments of jerking on the ground, it stops moving.

Grover clears his throat. "As I was saying, he can recover memories. But no one really recommends it. Some have gone insane from the overload. It's too much for your brain. He's always travelling, because people always need him everywhere."

"But I thought you said that no one recommends it."

Grover nods. "Yeah, but he can do a lot of other stuff. He has power over anything involving sleep. Plus, he can stop your memories from coming back."

I'm puzzled. "Wouldn't people want to know?"

He shakes his head, taking out another knife. Whipping it into the sky, another hag-thing falls dead. "To some people, it's better not to know. It might scar them forever. You know that kid, Chris?" When he nods, Grover takes a breath. "Well, we met Clovis on a mission in… Mongolia, I think, and Chris asked Clovis to unveil all his memories."

"He went from sane to insane in a matter of seconds. I was with him, and it was freaking crazy. It took about a year and a half for him to recover, and that's only because Clarisse helped him."

I don't think that Clarisse can help do anything except maim, but Grover smiles. "She actually has a pretty good heart, but don't ever tell her, or she'll shove you down a toilet."

A monster creeps up behind Grover, but Grover clocks him on the head with a thing with leaves on it. It turns out to be a tree branch. Anyone strong enough to defeat an ogre with only a tree branch has my respect. After ten minutes, Katie tells us that the invasion's over. I cap Riptide as Grover tosses the stick to the ground.

He yawns. "Let's go eat or something."

Before I respond, Juniper shows up in some camouflage clothing. She smirks. "Do your best to eat low-calorie stuff. Don't want one of us getting fat. It's shameful."

I pull Grover away before a fight can start. He curses as I pull him by the ear across the forest, into the fields. I roll my eyes as he struggles. When I finally let go, he growls in frustration.

"Damn it! I lost my chance to show her up!"

"Whatever, G-Man, let's go to the city and eat or something."

* * *

_**New York City- streets**_

_**March 24**__**th**_

_**12:45 PM**_

"Fuck, why are there so many freaking people here?"

We stand outside of Delighto's behind a line of people. It's so long that it reaches out the door and a few yards down the sidewalk. Grover taps his foot impatiently. "It's never this crowded."

"Let's just go somewhere else."

He shakes his head. "They have the best food in the world. Let's see what's going on." I look in the window. Some girls wearing the Clarion Girls' Academy uniform are in there in front of some tables piled high with stuff. Grover squints at one of the girls.

"Hey, it's Rachel. I think it's their annual auction to get rid of all the crap in the school." Grover taps his foot more. "Well, this pisses me off."

I looks at him in shock. "'Crap?' They're auctioning off laptops and stuff!"

Grover shrugs. "They always have extras. That's what happens when you have tons of money. Oh hey, that one looks like a replica of the Mona Lisa. Wow, it's pretty similar. It's staring at me too! Now that I think of it, I think that was what Rachel was painting a year ago in Montreal."

Rachel's pretty damn talented. She looks out the window as if she heard me. When she sees us, she grins and says something to Tina or Tianna or whatever. She walks out the restaurant and approaches us. She's in her scholar girl outfit, complete with straightened hair and everything.

Grover nods his greeting. I give her a high-five as she grins. "Yo, it's been a while! Come on, forget the line, you're with me." Grabbing our arms, she pulls us in, quietly apologizing to everyone. The tables are piled with really weird things along with the normal vases and paintings. There's a parrot with a price tag, but Rachel laughs.

"That's reserved for Nico. He needs it in California for something, and he's picking it up tomorrow. You'll see him at the Base for a couple of hours, probably."

After a few minutes of chatting, another girl calls for Rachel. Grover grins.

"I though she'd never go away! I'm starving!"

"Well, we still need to face the line."

Grover has a glint in his eye. He pulls out his phone, texting something to someone. "Well, this _shouldn't _put us in jail, but a few extra precautions…"

"You know, I'm suddenly afraid."

* * *

**A/N**

**DONE!**

**Eh…. Shit-load of projects. D;**


End file.
